







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, my lesson is starting now, I have to go. | Peu importe, mon cours commence, je dois partir. |
| I see, I love cooking! | Je vois, j'adore cuisiner! |
| There are some vending machines in the station. | Il y a des distributeurs automatiques dans la gare. |
| But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | Mais je ne pense pas pouvoir tous les utiliser, il y en a trop! |
| Okay, I found it... but it looks filthy! | Ok, je l'ai trouvé... mais elle a l'air sale! |
| What's your favourite movie? | Quel est ton film préféré ? |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | Ils ont aussi trois grandes fenêtres dans leur chambre! |
| Of course, oh, there is a half-eaten pizza in the oven. | Bien sûr, il y a une pizza a moitié mangée dedans. |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | Et puis, les vétérinaires sont si chers ! |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | Pas de problème, tout le monde se sert de mes affaires. |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | Excepté les moustiques, parce qu'ils ruinent mon sommeil. |
| What’s their name? | Comment s'appelle-t-il ? |
| Because I don't want to waste more time finding a new house... | Parce que je ne veux pas perdre plus de temps à chercher une nouvelle maison... |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Salut, je ne m'appelle pas Dick, mais Nick, avec un N. |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | Oh, mon Dieu, c'est la deuxième chose que je déteste faire dans la cuisine! |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | Heu... Je sais que je ronfle occasionnellement, je le fais tous les jours ? |
| What line is it on? | Quelle ligne il y a-t-il dessus ? |
| I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | Je déteste lorsque qu'ils volent autour de mes oreilles toute la nuit et lorsqu'ils me réveillent? |
| He is a Chow Chow. | C'est un Chow Chow. |
| But I want to see Brighton Pier before the sun sets. | Mais j'ai envie de voir la jetée de Brighton avant que le soleil ne se couche. |