







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'm sorry for not showing up at your opening. | Je suis désolé de ne pas avoir été là à l'inauguration. |
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | Un cursus d'un an ? Quel genre de cursus est-ce ? |
| The rice section is over there. | Le rayon des riz est ici. |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | Ma chérie bien-aimée me dit toujours à quel point vos rouleaux de printemps sont bons. |
| I live just opposite the pub. | Je vis en face du pub. |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mon dieu ! il est presque 12 heures. |
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | C'est génial, je crois que j'adore cette maison! |
| That's nice, the cupboards look good, the bench is okay... | C'est sympa, les placards on l'air bien, le banc est correct... |
| Hey, there is a stranger in the toilet, who is he? | Hé, il y a un inconnu dans les toilettes, c'est qui? |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | Bear supporte tout à fait les chats, mais pas les chiens. |
| I guess time doesn't pass for you while I'm away. | J'imagine que le temps ne s'écoule plus lorsque je ne suis pas là. |
| Don't worry, we don't do it everyday. | Ne t'en fais pas, nous ne le faisons pas tous les jours. |
| It says best before 25th of February. | Il est indiqué au mieux avant le 25 Février. |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | Peu importe, que nous reste-t-il à faire désormais ? |
| It's about a web project. | C'est à propos d'un projet web. |
| Okay, how much salt do you want me to add? | Ok, combien de sel veux-tu que je mette? |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | Es-tu le seul fumeur dans la maison ? |
| Do you really think it looks like we have a cleaner? | Est-ce qu'on a une tête à avoir un domestique? |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | Allez-vous souvent au Moulin à Vent ? |
| They weigh everything at the checkout. | Ils pèsent tout à la caisse. |