







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 | |
|---|---|
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Il a un an encore avant qu'il ne passe sa date de péremption. |
| But everybody calls him Rocco. | Mais tout le monde l'appelle Rocco. |
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | Pu**in, c'est qui à cette heure? |
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | Et il semble avoir 3 ans maintenant. |
| Nope, as I said before, they live in Australia. | Non, comme je l'ai déjà dit, ils habitent en Australie. |
| It's £135 per week! | 135£ par semaine! |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Te sens-tu un peu mieux maintenant? |
| Is that okay for you? | Ça te va? |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | Normalement, les filles regardent la liste de vins pendant une demie heure avant de commander quoi que ce soit. |
| Do you know her well? | La connais-tu bien ? |
| There is a little market near the school. | Il y a une petite boutique à côté de l'école. |
| Anyway, you only have 10 days left to leave that house. | Bref, tu n'as que 10 jours pour quitter la maison. |
| Yes, he is one of them. | Oui. C'est l'un d'entre eux. |
| It's in Islington, zone-1, it's the best place for me so far. | C'est à Islington, en zone 1, c'est le meilleur endroit pour moi pour l'instant. |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | Hé, quelle est la station la plus proche de China Town ? |
| Can you stop acting like I always ask for money? | Est-ce que tu peux arrêter d'agir comme-si j'allais toujours te demander de l'argent ? |
| I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | Je ne pense pas qu'il soit possible de trouver plus de configurations. |
| 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. |
| Is it big money? | C'est beaucoup d'argent? |
| How much are they supposed to pay? | Combien doivent-ils payer? |