







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| I wish you all the best. | Je vous souhaite tout le meilleur. |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | Bien vu, je suis sûr qu'ils ne paient pas autant! |
| As a result, he starts pooping and peeing all over the house. | Par conséquent, il commence à faire caca et pipi partout dans la maison. |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Tu veux que le plateau soit au milieu? |
| What do you think about him, Cate? | Que penses-tu de lui Cate ? |
| Don't worry Diego, it's not related to you! | Ne t'inquiète pas Diego, ce n'est pas à propos de toi! |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | Okay, nous voilà, c'est Honeybrook Street. |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Donc veux-tu que je trouve une maison de moi-même ? |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | Ils ont aussi trois grandes fenêtres dans leur chambre! |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | Dans la recette, il est dit 600g. |
| Umm, you can tell them it's our wedding anniversary. | Heu, tu pourrais leur dire que c'est notre anniversaire de mariage. |
| Is it a single or a double room? | C'est une chambre simple ou double? |
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | Oui, il va très bien après s'être reposé pendant un certain temps. |
| It's Marvin Gaye, from the 60's, but this is the remix. | C'est Marvin Gaye, des années 60, mais c'est un remix. |
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | Tu veux que j'appelle Diégo alors? |
| I am half-British and half-Australian. | Je suis moitié Britannique moitié Australienne. |
| It definitely costs a lot, but that's not the only problem. | Ça coûte très cher effectivement, mais ce n'est pas le seul problème. |
| The recipe is for 6 people. | La recette est pour 6 personnes. |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Oui, tu veux dire, des tricycles? |
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | C'est génial, je crois que j'adore cette maison! |