







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 | |
|---|---|
| You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | Tu as raison, il vaut probablement plus qu'une cigarette. |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | Je n'arrive pas à croire que tu n'aies toujours pas compris ! |
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | N'est-ce pas un peut trop tôt pour un dîner ? |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | Ça craint, tu as un rhume? |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | Ça serait bien ! Penses-tu que ça sera possible ? |
| That's where Diego works, too! | C'est là où travaille Diégo aussi! |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mon mari et moi sommes vraiment contents. |
| 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. |
| I need to wake him up now! | Je dois le réveiller maintenant! |
| No, no, nothing is wrong, no need to worry, we are all fine... | Non, non, il n'y a rien de grave, pas d'inquiétudes, tout va bien... |
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | Russie t'as dit? C'est assez inhabituel! |
| Hello mate, where are you? | Salut gars, t'es où? |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Tu as des frères ou des soeurs? |
| Nope, as I said before, they live in Australia. | Non, comme je l'ai déjà dit, ils habitent en Australie. |
| I've got a meeting with some people. | Je dois voir des gens. |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | On dirait un mélange entre l'accent Britannique et Australien. |
| You are right, is there anything you want me to buy on the way? | Tu as raison, il y a-t-il quelque chose que tu veuilles acheter pour moi en chemin? |
| Of course, oh, there is a half-eaten pizza in the oven. | Bien sûr, il y a une pizza a moitié mangée dedans. |
| Well, that's another problem! | Et bien, c'est un autre souci! |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | Est-ce que quelqu'un d'autre veut quelque chose à boire ? |