







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 hay fever? I've got some pills for it! | C'est le rhume des foins? J'ai quelques pilules pour soigner ça! |
| Well, that's another problem! | Et bien, c'est un autre souci! |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 degrés est le maximum! |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | Je voudrais essayer le Sauvignon Blanc. |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | C'est bien... J'espère que ce n'est pas une adolescente ! Quel âge a-t-elle ? |
| Well, I don't think we need to cook too many things at once. | Eh bien, je ne pense pas qu'on a besoin de préparer plein de choses à la fois. |
| I'm happy to hear that. | Je suis heureux de l'entendre. |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Il est 4 heure et demi, on est donc pile à l'heure. |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | Oui, je suis là entrain d'attendre de bonnes nouvelles. |
| The rice section is over there. | Le rayon des riz est ici. |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | Toby! C'est Cate, c'est... mon amie, de Londres. |
| I'm an English teacher. | Je suis professeur d'anglais. |
| We don't have that system in Brighton yet. | Nous n'avons pas encore ce système à Brighton. |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | Il ne le fait que lorsqu'il est extrêmement stressé! |
| Thanks for offering me that, dear. | Merci de me le proposer chéri. |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | J'ai l'habitude de préparer des plats à base de viande, poison et volaille. |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | Il y en a plein d'autres, mais je pense que gumtree.com est le meilleur. |
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Es-tu sûre qu'elle vient d'Australie ? |
| No worries Mike, as I said, he only does it when he is stressed. | Pas de panique Mike, comme je l'ai dit, il ne le fait que lorsqu'il est extrêmement stressé. |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | Ta mère peut-elle gérer la situation toute seule? |