







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 | |
|---|---|
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | Peux-tu me montrer quels habits je dois déplacer ? |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | Tu peux rester avec moi jusqu'à ce que tu trouves où aller. |
| Do you live in this house, too? | Vous vivez dans cette maison? |
| No, it's not mine, I think it belongs to the house. | Non, elle n'est pas à moi, elle appartient à la maison. |
| I've finally completed it and tomorrow is the big day! | Je l'ai finalement terminé et demain est un grand jour ! |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | Non, je ne sais pas ce qu'il y a dans ton frigo. |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Je suis vraiment impressionnée par l'architecture de cette gare. |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | Il y a 500g de beurre dans un paquet pas encore ouvert. |
| I don't want to talk about this issue in this house. | Je ne veux plus parler de ce problème dans cette maison. |
| Where are you? | Où es-tu? |
| It's almost 09:30. | Il est presque 09:30. |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | C'est mon petit ami, Mike. |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Vraiment ? Comment fais-je pour te réveiller ? |
| Does that help you to believe me? | Est-ce que ça t'aide à me croire? |
| How much do you pay for your room? | Combien tu payes ton loyer pour ta chambre? |
| But it has expired and it has a hole in it. | Mais il est périmé et a un trou sur son emballage. |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | Je me sens un peu fatiguée et j'ai très faim. |
| Okay, the total is £36.74, sir. | Okay, le montant est de 36.74 livres monsieur. |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | Donc 2017 moins 1841, ça fait... |
| No worries, it's free for you today. | Pas de problème, c'est gratuit pour toi aujourd'hui. |