







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 | |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | Hé, quelle est la station la plus proche de China Town ? |
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Oui, ça a l'air plus logique dans ce cas là. |
| Do you want to bet on it? | Tu veux parier ? |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 degrés est le maximum! |
| I'm really sorry to hear that, mate! | Je suis désolé d'entendre ça l'ami! |
| I really don't want to see her again! | Je n'ai pas vraiment envie de la voir de nouveau! |
| There is no direct flight from London to Perth. | Il n'y a pas d vol direct de Londres à Perth. |
| Do you really think it looks like we have a cleaner? | Est-ce qu'on a une tête à avoir un domestique? |
| I hope it's not related to me! | J'espère que ça ne me concerne pas! |
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | Pendant la soirée d'hier, nous avons été ouverts jusqu'à très tard, et tu connais son excuse. |
| The packets have 2 pieces in them. | Les paquets ont 2 pièces. |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | Ta mère peut-elle gérer la situation toute seule? |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Donc veux-tu que je trouve une maison de moi-même ? |
| I'm really sorry, what kind of sickness is it? | Je suis vraiment désolé, il s'agit de quel type de maladie? |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | Je ne comprends pas pourquoi il appellent cela un jour férié. |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | C'est un plombier chéri, apparemment elles sont bouchées. |
| Why is that rice so special? | En quoi ce riz est-il si spécial? |
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | Peu-être qu'ils préfèrent mettres des plaques électriques dans les colocations pour des raisons de sécurité. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | Oui, c'est une bonne idée. |