







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 | |
|---|---|
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | Peu importe, je dois aller au petit coin également... |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | J'ai faim, mais c'est mieux d'avoir quelque chose quand nous verrons les garçons. |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Hum... Peut-être 30 ans ? |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Bien, c'est conclu ! Tu as 3 jours pour réfléchir à partir de maintenant ! |
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | Tu ne ramasses jamais la crotte de Bear sur le sol. |
| 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. |
| It's a double room plus we get a cleaner once a week. | C'est une double chambre et un domestique vient nettoyer une fois par semaine. |
| I'm really sorry to hear that, mate! | Je suis désolé d'entendre ça l'ami! |
| I usually take the train. | Je prends généralement le train. |
| What is it about? | De quoi ça parle ? |
| Is it hay fever? I've got some pills for it! | C'est le rhume des foins? J'ai quelques pilules pour soigner ça! |
| But I think that's only for older women. | Mais je pense que ce n'est que pour les femmes plus âgées. |
| Do you mean the guy with the beard? | Tu parles de ce gars avec la barbe ? |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | Peu importe, que nous reste-t-il à faire désormais ? |
| Hello mate, where are you? | Salut gars, t'es où? |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Je n'ai aucune idée de ce que le riz arborio est! |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | Est-ce qu'on a du pain à toaster? |
| Thank god there is nothing to worry about. | Merci, tout va bien. |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Quel type de musique aimes-tu le plus ? |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Désolé, j'ai oublié de te le dire, tu dois ouvrir le robinet très délicatement. |