







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 | |
|---|---|
| But their room is almost double the size of our room! | Mais leur chambre fait presque le double de la nôtre! |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Il a un an encore avant qu'il ne passe sa date de péremption. |
| Ta-ta here it is... | Ta-ta elle est là... |
| 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... |
| What's your plan, Cate? | Que voulez-vous faire Cate ? |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Salut, je ne m'appelle pas Dick, mais Nick, avec un N. |
| What's wrong with him? | Qu’est-ce qui ne va pas avec lui ? |
| But I think that's only for older women. | Mais je pense que ce n'est que pour les femmes plus âgées. |
| Do you know her well? | La connais-tu bien ? |
| She is doing well, we have 3 months left to go. | Elle se débrouille très bien, on doit encore attendre 3 mois. |
| Because you are in it. | Tu es avec moi. |
| It only takes 15 or 20 minutes. | Cela ne prends que 15 ou 20 minutes. |
| Isn't it faster taking the tube? | Ce n'est pas plus rapide en bus ? |
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | Non, mais ça serait ce que j'aimerais avoir... |
| I would like to... But I have other things to do... | J'aimerais bien également... Mais j'ai d'autres choses à faire... |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Désolé, j'ai oublié de te le dire, tu dois ouvrir le robinet très délicatement. |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | Oui, c'était assez facile en fait, j'habite pas loin. |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | Ça craint, tu as un rhume? |
| Hey, Cate! Do you need anything? | Salut Cate ! Tu as besoin de quelque chose ? |
| 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. |