







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 | |
|---|---|
| No, I don't have one! | Non, j'en ai pas! |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | Il va plus vite, mais nous ne voulons pas marcher jusqu'à la station de métro. |
| Do you want me to get you a glass of wine? | Tu veux que je te verse un verre de vin? |
| So I want to cook as much as I can now. | Alors je veux préparer autant à manger que possible. |
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | Bien sûr, 2 tomates sont suffisantes je crois. |
| You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | Tu as raison, il vaut probablement plus qu'une cigarette. |
| You are so realistic dear, where is your wedding ring? | Tu es tellement réaliste chérie, où est ta bague de fiançailles ? |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Vous ne ressemblez pas à un professeur d'anglais. |
| So does that mean you don't want to stay with me? | Est-ce que ça veut dire que tu ne veux plus rester avec moi? |
| But their room is almost double the size of our room! | Mais leur chambre fait presque le double de la nôtre! |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | J'ai un rendez-vous au Ministère de l'Intérieur pour l'extension de mon visa? |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Hé, l'eau bout, tu veux que je la verse dans une casserole? |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | Excepté les moustiques, parce qu'ils ruinent mon sommeil. |
| Um, on this floor, it's only me and a French girl next door. | Uhm, à cet étage, il n'y a que moi et la fille Française d'à côté. |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 degrés devraient aller. |
| Excuse me ma'am, here is an undamaged packet of rice for you. | Excusez-moi madame, voici un paquet de riz neuf pour vous. |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Il est 4 heure et demi, on est donc pile à l'heure. |
| Um, I don't feel like eating anything but fish today. | Et bien, je sens que je ne mangerai rien à part du poisson aujourd'hui. |
| Do you know the pub around the corner? | Connaissez-vous le pub au coin de la rue ? |
| Look, there is a shop assistant. | Regarde, il y a un assistant. |