







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 | |
|---|---|
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | C'est génial, je crois que j'adore cette maison! |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | Ma réunion commence à une heure. |
| You look much younger than that. | Vous semblez plus jeune que cela. |
| Erm, she's the marketing manager at the company. | Euh, c'est le gestionnaire marketing de l'entreprise. |
| No, but it's not good for him to take the stairs up and down everyday. | Non, mais monter et descendre les escaliers tous les jours n'est pas bon pour lui. |
| What's your favourite movie? | Quel est ton film préféré ? |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | J'espère que cela ne dérange pas vos amies. |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | Je me sens un peu fatiguée et j'ai très faim. |
| It says best before 25th of February. | Il est indiqué au mieux avant le 25 Février. |
| Yeah, I've got it! | Ouais, je l'ai! |
| Because you are in it. | Tu es avec moi. |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | Il y a un problème avec la batterie de ton téléphone? |
| Yes, I still don't do it. | Oui, je ne le fais toujours pas. |
| I feel hungry, too. | J'ai faim aussi. |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Hum... Peut-être 30 ans ? |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | J'ai encore deux cours, je finis à trois heures trente. |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | Et, maintenant, il nous reste plein de champignons à utiliser. |
| Kisses to you, too, I'll call you when I get there! | Bisous à toi aussi, je t'appellerai quand je serai là-bas ! |
| Nope, I don't cook fancy things, only regular dishes. | Non, je ne prépare rien d'extravagant, seulement des plats basiques. |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | Je n'en ai aucune idée... Mais j'espère que cette personne a une bonne excuse! |