







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes, it might be, but I'm very busy with some projects these days. | Oui, je pense, mais je suis très occupé par d'autres projets ces temps ci. |
| Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | Salut chérie, comment ça va, t'as besoin d'aide ? |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | Allons, Mike, ça ne relève pas de moi à la maison. |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | Non, j'ai de mauvaises allergies. |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | Il va plus vite, mais nous ne voulons pas marcher jusqu'à la station de métro. |
| I don't believe you! What's the difference today? | Je ne te crois pas, quelle est la différence aujourd'hui? |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | Donc 2017 moins 1841, ça fait... |
| Yes, it's in Piccadilly Circus right in the centre. | Oui, c'est à Piccadilly Circus, pile au centre. |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Nous somme de retour, où est Bear? |
| The place I am having the meeting is very close to Brighton Pier. | L'endroit où j'ai la réunion est très proche de Brighton. |
| Do your parents live in London, too? | Tes parents vivent à Londres aussi? |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | Oh, désolée! Tu n'aimes pas nettoyer les choses, je peux le faire. |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Morrison n'est-il pas plus près? |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | Et, maintenant, il nous reste plein de champignons à utiliser. |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Tu veux que le plateau soit au milieu? |
| That's a good question! | C'est une bonne question ! |
| That's okay, I don't mind. | C'est okay, ça ne me dérange pas. |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Salut mon ami, comment vas-tu? |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Je peux cuisiner, bien sûr, mais seulement quand j'en ai envie. |
| What line is it on? | Quelle ligne il y a-t-il dessus ? |