







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 | |
|---|---|
| Oh sorry, unfortunately, that one is reserved. | Oh, je m'en vois navrée, celle-ci est réservée. |
| Of course, I researched it well, it's 525 metres. | Bien sûr, j'ai fait des recherches, elle mesure 525 mètres. |
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | Pardon, ils ne servent pas de chips ici... |
| Don't worry, I don't like having a very heavy breakfast. | Ne t'inquiête pas, je n'aime pas prendre de lourds petits déjeuners. |
| Good boy, Beary! See, he is just a little friend. | Bon garçon Beary! C'est juste ta petite amie. |
| He is one of my best friends, unfortunately. | C'est un de mes meilleurs amis, malheureusement. |
| Yes, it is, but yours isn't so obvious. | Oui, c'est clair, mais le tien n'est pas si flagrant. |
| You are so realistic dear, where is your wedding ring? | Tu es tellement réaliste chérie, où est ta bague de fiançailles ? |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Je ne pense pas que ce soit normal, et toi? |
| Is she here with you? | Elle est avec toi? |
| I don't like violence in real life, I only like it in movies. | Je n'aime pas la violence dans la vraie vie, je l'aime uniquement dans les films. |
| I live very close by. | Je vis très proche d'ici. |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | Et, maintenant, il nous reste plein de champignons à utiliser. |
| I want to be sober and energetic for tomorrow. | Je veux être sobre et en forme pour demain. |
| It's impossible for me to commute from zone-9 to 1 everyday. | C'est impossible pour moi de passer de la zone 9 à la zone 1 tous les jours. |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | Les filles, je vous présente Mike. |
| It's in Islington, zone-1, it's the best place for me so far. | C'est à Islington, en zone 1, c'est le meilleur endroit pour moi pour l'instant. |
| So I don't snore everyday... | Donc je n'ai pas ronflé tous les jours... |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Salut, pardonne-moi, je me suis un peu en retard. |
| No, actually, he is properly toilet trained. | Non, à vrai dire, il est très propre. |