







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes, it's in Piccadilly Circus right in the centre. | Oui, c'est à Piccadilly Circus, pile au centre. |
| My rent is monthly, I pay £600 per month. | Je paye mensuellement, 600£ par mois. |
| I see, I love cooking! | Je vois, j'adore cuisiner! |
| He is a Chow Chow. | C'est un Chow Chow. |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | Le chat n'est pas à moi, c'est celui de ma petite ami. |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | C'est comme sur la pub. |
| Um, on this floor, it's only me and a French girl next door. | Uhm, à cet étage, il n'y a que moi et la fille Française d'à côté. |
| That's why they're 50% off. | C'est pourquoi ils ont 50% de réduction. |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | Peu importe, que nous reste-t-il à faire désormais ? |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | Merci, ouais, comme je l'ai dit, Carmen est en zone 2... |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Enfin, voici Cate et ses collègues de travail. |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | Ma réunion commence à une heure. |
| I guess mine is older than yours! | Je pense que le mien est plus vieux que le tiens ! |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | Okay, ce qui est en promotion a 20% de réduction aujourd'hui. |
| Thanks for offering me that, dear. | Merci de me le proposer chéri. |
| Hello, I'm very sorry dear, I'm a bit late. | Salut, je suis désolée chéri, je suis un peu en retard. |
| What's your plan, Cate? | Que voulez-vous faire Cate ? |
| Who knows, I consider it as nothing more than a hobby. | Qui sait? Je pense plus qu'il s'agit d'un hobby. |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | Ta mère peut-elle gérer la situation toute seule? |
| I don't think you really want me to stay here anymore! | Je ne pense pas que tu veuilles vraiment que je reste ici! |