







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 | |
|---|---|
| I mostly work till late at night, I never wake up at 7 in the morning. | Je travaille souvent jusqu'à très tard le soir, je ne me révéille jamais à 7 heures du matin. |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | Dans la recette, il est dit 600g. |
| It's about a web project. | C'est à propos d'un projet web. |
| Can you stop acting like I always ask for money? | Est-ce que tu peux arrêter d'agir comme-si j'allais toujours te demander de l'argent ? |
| Hey, before you go... | Hé, avant que tu ne partes... |
| No she is a very cute, easygoing and friendly girl. | Non, elle est vraiment mignonne, ouverte et amicale comme fille. |
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | Tu ne penses pas que deux fourchettes soient assez? |
| Hey, what happened? Is everything okay? | Hé, qu'est-ce qui ss'est passé? Tout va bien? |
| 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. |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | Est-ce que quelqu'un d'autre veut quelque chose à boire ? |
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | N'est-ce pas un peut trop tôt pour un dîner ? |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | Eh bien, je suis habituée aux mauvais nouvelles aujourd'hui, qu'y a-t-il? |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | Pogo est mon petit chat, y'a-t-il un problème? |
| Also, one of my friends works there. | De plus, un de mes amis travaille ici. |
| Then, I don't think we need to see the next one! | Alors, je pense qu'on n'a pas besoin de voir la prochaine! |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | Peu importe, je dois aller au petit coin également... |
| Are you really asking me that question? | Me poses-tu vraiment la question ? |
| But before we go, can you call them and ask if they are okay with pets? | Mais d'abord, tu peux les appeler pour voir s'ils sont d'accord pour les animaux? |
| Okay, the total is £36.74, sir. | Okay, le montant est de 36.74 livres monsieur. |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | Toby! C'est Cate, c'est... mon amie, de Londres. |