







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 | |
|---|---|
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | N'est-ce pas un peut trop tôt pour un dîner ? |
| How are things going, is everything ok? | Comment les choses se passent-ils, tout va bien? |
| It's always the same. | C'est toujours pareil. |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | Oh, mon Dieu, c'est la deuxième chose que je déteste faire dans la cuisine! |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Tu as des frères ou des soeurs? |
| Eating leftovers during the week saves me some time. | Manger des restes pendant la semaine me fait gagner du temps. |
| That's a very interesting combination. | C'est une combinaison très intéressante. |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Morrison n'est-il pas plus près? |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | Oui, c'est une bonne idée. |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | Pas de problème, tout le monde se sert de mes affaires. |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | C'est tellement triste, quel âge ont tes parents? |
| Don't worry Mike, I think this one is better. | Ne t'en fais pas Mike, je pense que celle-ci est meilleure. |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | Bear supporte tout à fait les chats, mais pas les chiens. |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Je n'ai aucune idée de ce que le riz arborio est! |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | Donc 2017 moins 1841, ça fait... |
| He is the bartender. | C'est le barman. |
| The room is spacious and sunny and the bed looks comfortable! | La chambre est spacieuse et le lit a l'air confortable! |
| I hope you are aware it's your last 3 days to find a house... | J'espère que tu es au courant qu'il te reste trois jours pour trouver une maison... |
| We all love bank holidays. | Nous adorons les jours fériés. |
| Okay, we have all the things we need, then. | Ok, on a tout ce qu'il nous faut alors. |