







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 | |
|---|---|
| Thank you, dear... For helping me to be a liar! | Merci, chéri... De m'avoir aidé à être une menteuse ! |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | On n'a qu'à calculer, je paye 135 par semaine pour une personne... |
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Oui, ça a l'air plus logique dans ce cas là. |
| Is it possible not to be able to find return tickets? | C'est possible de ne pas en trouver? |
| Oh, I think I know them. | Oh, je crois que je sais ce que c'est. |
| Yeah, it's a very popular restaurant. | Ouais, c'est un restaurant très populaire. |
| But we have to be quick, I don't have much time. | Mais on doit se dépêcher, je n'ai pas beaucoup de temps. |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | Le rendez-vous n'est pas le problème en soi! |
| That's why you have a headache now! | C'est pour ça que tu as mal à la tête! |
| That's a very interesting combination. | C'est une combinaison très intéressante. |
| How much garlic do you want? | Quelle quantité d'ail veux-tu ? |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Bien sûr, mon nom est Cate et mon numéro est le 077... |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | Toby! C'est Cate, c'est... mon amie, de Londres. |
| Is that a crack in the bath? | C'est une fissure dans la baignoire? |
| What's wrong with him? | Qu’est-ce qui ne va pas avec lui ? |
| Is that what you want to do? | Est-ce ce que tu veux faire ? |
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | Ma barbe me rend plus vieux, je pense. |
| Can you please not forget to take some poo bags with you! | N'oublie pas de prendre des sacs à crotte avec toi! |
| Do you like red or white onions? | Tu préfères les oignons rouges ou blancs? |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | On dirait que Pogo veut aller dans le jardin. |