







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hey, before you go... | Hé, avant que tu ne partes... |
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | Entrez, au rez-de-chausse, on a deux chambres... |
| Here you go sir, this is your receipt and your £20 cashback. | Voici monsieur, ceci est votre reçu et ceci est votre monnaie de 20 livres. |
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | Avec des plaques au gaz, quelqu'un risque de les oublier, c'est trop dangeureux! |
| How often do you have free time, then? | Et quand avez-vous du temps libre ? |
| I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | Je suis désolé, je ne suis pas doué pour me souvenir des noms! |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Oui, c'est une bonne idée! |
| 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. |
| He is a Chow Chow. | C'est un Chow Chow. |
| I don't mind sitting outside as long as I'm not cold. | Ça me dérange pas de m'asseoir dehors, tant que je n'ai pas froid. |
| Because we know them and have their mobile numbers? | Parce que nous les connaissons et que nous avons leurs numéros de téléphone? |
| I think you wake me up more often than mosquitoes do! | Je pense que tu me réveilles plus souvent que les moustiques ! |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | C'est tellement triste, quel âge ont tes parents? |
| The ones at the bottom look fresher. | Ceux du bas semblent plus frais. |
| Sorry, look, here is the station. | Désolé, regarde, c'est la gare. |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mon mari et moi sommes vraiment contents. |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | C'est comme si le mal était caché en eux! |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | Comment ose-t-il... Il est tellement stupide!!! |
| Is it because of the cost, or another reason? | Est-ce que c'est à cause du prix, ou est-ce une autre raison? |
| I don't think it's a suitable movie for kids, dear. | Je ne pense pas que ça soit un film approprié aux enfants, chéri. |