







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 | |
|---|---|
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | Exactement, l'un d'entre eux nous demande 3500 et l'autre 3000... |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Donc veux-tu que je trouve une maison de moi-même ? |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | Es-tu le seul fumeur dans la maison ? |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | Et nous avons à peser tout par nous même, etcetera. |
| That's why they're 50% off. | C'est pourquoi ils ont 50% de réduction. |
| Yeah, I think it's a bit early to knock on someone's door! | Oui, il est un peu tôt pour toquer chez quelqu'un! |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Heu, soit dit en passant, tant qu'on est sur le sujet... |
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | Vraiment ? Je n'ai pas envie de ruiner ton plan, mais... |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | Oui, il y en a aussi. |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | Je suis d'accord, les longs vols ne sont pas ma tasse de thé. |
| So does that mean you don't want to stay with me? | Est-ce que ça veut dire que tu ne veux plus rester avec moi? |
| I need to use chicken stock for the risotto! | J'ai besoin d'un fond de volaille pour le risotto! |
| Oh, okay, is there a problem with your house? | Ah, okay, il y a un problème avec votre maison? |
| Well, I hope he doesn't keep on pooping all around the house! | Bien, j'espère qu'il ne fera pas caca partout dans la maison! |
| Do we have any paper towels? | Est-ce qu'on a des serviettes en papier? |
| You are lucky! | Tant mieux ! |
| He is the bartender. | C'est le barman. |
| Okay, I found it... but it looks filthy! | Ok, je l'ai trouvé... mais elle a l'air sale! |
| Unfortunately, she is a teenager, she is 19! | Malheureusement, elle est une adolescente, elle a 19 ans ! |
| It sounds like a good deal. | Cela me semble bien. |