







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 | |
|---|---|
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | Excepté les moustiques, parce qu'ils ruinent mon sommeil. |
| That's a perfect time to see a house... | C'est le moment parfait pour visiter une maison... |
| It's usually at the top right of your screen. | C'est habituellement en haut à gauche de votre écran. |
| By the way, my name's Mike, what's yours? | Au fait, je m'appelle Mike, et vous ? |
| There is no table for you, then! | Il n'y a donc pas de table pour toi ! |
| Who knows, I consider it as nothing more than a hobby. | Qui sait? Je pense plus qu'il s'agit d'un hobby. |
| Maybe we can get something on the way to the station. | Peut être qu'on peut manger un morceau sur le chemin de la gare. |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Pourquoi ne réponds-tu pas à ton téléphone ? |
| Well, it's about a kid, I mean a robot. | Bien, c'est à propos d'un enfant, je veux dire robot. |
| I'm happy to hear that. | Je suis heureux de l'entendre. |
| The rice section is over there. | Le rayon des riz est ici. |
| Unfortunately, she is a teenager, she is 19! | Malheureusement, elle est une adolescente, elle a 19 ans ! |
| How are you? | Et vous ? |
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | Tu ne ramasses jamais la crotte de Bear sur le sol. |
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | Je ne pense pas, les trains quittent la gare toutes les 20 minutes à peu près. |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Donc veux-tu que je trouve une maison de moi-même ? |
| 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. |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | C'est pas très loin de là... Il y a une infime différence! |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | Je voudrais essayer le Sauvignon Blanc. |
| Oh, your girlfriend's cat... Does she live here with you? | Oh, le chat de ta petite amie... Elle habite ici aussi? |