







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 | |
|---|---|
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | Pardon, ils ne servent pas de chips ici... |
| Does the kid think he is a robot or the robot think it's a kid? | L'enfant pense qu'il est un robot ou le robot pense qu'il est un enfant ? |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | Ils ont aussi trois grandes fenêtres dans leur chambre! |
| Hello, I'm sorry, but there is no chardonnay left, Cate. | Bonjour, je suis désolé mais il ne reste plus de Chardonnay, Cate. |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | J'aime les musique de Jamiroquai, mais pas toutes d'entre elles. |
| It's about a web project. | C'est à propos d'un projet web. |
| Do you want me to wash the wine bottle before I pour it? | Tu veux que je lave la bouteille de vin avant de t'en verser? |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | Donc 2017 moins 1841, ça fait... |
| Why? What's wrong? | Pourquoi, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ? |
| Not long, my lessons start at 12:30. | Pas longtemps, mes cours commencent à 12h30. |
| Good thanks, I'm fine, too. | Merci, je vais bien aussi. |
| Is there a knife? | Il y a un couteau? |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Oui, tu veux dire, des tricycles? |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Pourquoi ne réponds-tu pas à ton téléphone ? |
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | Féliciations... mais, Pogo c'est le nom d'un animal de compagnie? |
| Taking Bear out usually takes me an hour. | Sortir Bear me prend généralement une heure. |
| Oh yeah, it's our girls' night out tonight. | Oh oui, c'est notre soirées entre filles ce soir ? |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | Bien sûr, voici la salle de bains. |
| Hello, my name is Mike, I'm Cate's boyfriend... | Bonjour, je m'appelle Mike, je suis le petit ami de Cate... |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | Parce que d'autres personnes se plaignent de moi fumant là-bas. |