







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 | |
|---|---|
| I need to wake him up now! | Je dois le réveiller maintenant! |
| Hmm.. yes, I need mushrooms, stock, celery... | Hmm...oui, j'ai besoin de champignon, de bouillon, de céleri,... |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Je peux cuisiner, bien sûr, mais seulement quand j'en ai envie. |
| Is she here with you? | Elle est avec toi? |
| Don't worry Diego, it's not related to you! | Ne t'inquiète pas Diego, ce n'est pas à propos de toi! |
| Do we have to do that every time we need to open the door? | On doit faire ça à chaque fois qu'on doit ouvrir la porte? |
| What’s their name? | Comment s'appelle-t-il ? |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | Et ça, c'est ma petite amie, Cate. |
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | Pu**in, c'est qui à cette heure? |
| I was just joking, how are you? | Je plaisantais, comment allez-vous ? |
| Do you mean the guy with the beard? | Tu parles de ce gars avec la barbe ? |
| Yes, I still don't do it. | Oui, je ne le fais toujours pas. |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | C'est mon petit ami, Mike. |
| I guess mine is older than yours! | Je pense que le mien est plus vieux que le tiens ! |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Je n'aime pas aller à l'hôpital non plus. |
| Hey, we are back. | Salut, nous sommes de retour. |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | C'est bien, visiter trois maisons en un jour c'est pas mal. |
| When you stop believing we can get a house in Mayfair for 2,400! | Lorsque tu arrêteras de croire qu'on peut avoir une maison à Mayfair pour 2400 ! |
| Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | Nous y voilà, je suis sûr qu'ils payent moins. |
| There is also some cheese, but it's a bit mouldy. | Il y a aussi du fromage mais il est un peu moisi. |