







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 | |
|---|---|
| Don't you think it's too far away from the tube station? | Tu ne penses pas qu'elle est trop loin de la station de métro? |
| That's where Diego works, too! | C'est là où travaille Diégo aussi! |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Très bien! J'espère qu'il ne le fait pas tout le temps! |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Je pense qu'il veut boire de l'eau. |
| There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | Il y a un robot dans le corps d'un enfant, mais il ne sait pas que c'est un robot. |
| What's the reason for the cancellation this time? | Pourquoi annuler à ce moment-ci? |
| Yeah, I guess normally you go to work around 06:30. | Ouais, d'habitude tu vas au travail vers 6h30. |
| But it has expired and it has a hole in it. | Mais il est périmé et a un trou sur son emballage. |
| Hmm, I like pop, rock, funk. | Heu, j'aime la pop, le rock et le funk. |
| His name's Sergio. | Il s'appelle Sergio. |
| Yes, I can hear you, but I don't understand! | Oui, je t'entends, mais je ne comprends pas! |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | C'est un plombier chéri, apparemment elles sont bouchées. |
| No, what is that? | Non, dis-moi? |
| I'm checking again, there are only two forks and a teaspoon! | Je vais revérifier, il n'y a que deux fourchettes et un cuillère à café! |
| Maybe we can get something on the way to the station. | Peut être qu'on peut manger un morceau sur le chemin de la gare. |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | Oui, c'était assez facile en fait, j'habite pas loin. |
| Do you remember the pub's name? | Souvenez-vous du nom du pub ? |
| Do you remember me? | Vous vous souvenez de moi ? |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | J'en vois beaucoup là où je travaille à vrai dire. |
| That's very interesting! | C’est très intéressant ! |