







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 | |
|---|---|
| Is it big money? | C'est beaucoup d'argent? |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Le chat de qui?... Tu veux dire mon chat? |
| It sounds like a good deal. | Cela me semble bien. |
| But I think that's only for older women. | Mais je pense que ce n'est que pour les femmes plus âgées. |
| Sorry, the line is very bad! | Désolé, la ligne est très mauvaise! |
| They're there, under the duvet. | Ils sont là-bas, sous la couette. |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | C'est le dernier et malheureusement l'emballage est trouée. |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | Ce n'est pas grave, je pense qu'elles sont à la même distance. |
| What do you think about him, Cate? | Que penses-tu de lui Cate ? |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | Oui, Bear mange un chat et demi par jour pour son petit déjeuner. |
| Set times always stress me out. | Les temps prédéfinis me stressent toujours. |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | C'est comme si le mal était caché en eux! |
| I guess you need to change your cooking plan now! | Je pense que tu as besoin de changer de plan de cuisson, maintenant! |
| 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? |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | Bonjour, je ne pense pas qu’elle soit cassée. |
| I feel hungry, too. | J'ai faim aussi. |
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | Ouais, c'est un grand pays, c'est plus un contient. |
| Hmm, I guess it's a bit old, but it's still my favourite. | Heu, je pense que c'est un peu vieux, mais c'est mon favori tout de même. |
| Hey Mike, you look so worried! | Salut Mike, tu sembles si inquiet ! |
| I've only got Saturday left before I have to move on Sunday. | Il ne me rester que Samedi avant de déménager Dimanche. |