







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | Hé, quelle est la station la plus proche de China Town ? |
| Oh look at this big boy, he gets bigger everytime I see him! | Oh regarde moi ce toutou, il est toujours plus grand que la dernière fois ! |
| 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. |
| I didn't say it's your fault, but it's your turn now... | Je n'ai pas dit que c'était de ta faut, mais c'est ton tour maintenant... |
| How are you? | Et vous ? |
| So I want to cook as much as I can now. | Alors je veux préparer autant à manger que possible. |
| He must be sleeping, he usually works at night, too. | Il doit être en train de dormir, il travaille souvent la nuit aussi. |
| As I said, it's much easier to open with two people. | Comme je l'avais dit, c'est plus facile de l'ouvrir à deux. |
| You are right, is there anything you want me to buy on the way? | Tu as raison, il y a-t-il quelque chose que tu veuilles acheter pour moi en chemin? |
| That's a very interesting combination. | C'est une combinaison très intéressante. |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | Je me sens un peu fatiguée et j'ai très faim. |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | Tu peux rester avec moi jusqu'à ce que tu trouves où aller. |
| It's impossible for me to commute from zone-9 to 1 everyday. | C'est impossible pour moi de passer de la zone 9 à la zone 1 tous les jours. |
| Why do you think it's weird? | Pourquoi penses-tu que c'est bizarre ? |
| No, it's not okay, I'm screwed now! | Non, tout va mal, je suis coincé maintenant! |
| Yeah, I guess normally you go to work around 06:30. | Ouais, d'habitude tu vas au travail vers 6h30. |
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | Malheureusement, je n'en ai aucune ! Où est la tienne ? |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Donc veux-tu que je trouve une maison de moi-même ? |
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | Féliciations... mais, Pogo c'est le nom d'un animal de compagnie? |
| I haven't been there before, where is it? | Je n'avais jamais été là-bas auparavant, où est-ce que c'est ? |