







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 | |
|---|---|
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | Je suis sur la route pour Brighton, je suis presque arrivé! |
| How is your cat? | Comment va votre chat ? |
| People take cutlery to their rooms and don't bring it back! | Les gens emmènent les couverts dans leur chambre et ne les rapportent pas! |
| My sisters live nearby, they help her sometimes. | Mes sœurs habitent pas loin, elles l'aident de temps en temps. |
| Yes, that's the one. | Oui c'est celui-là. |
| Your perfectly shaped mushrooms are ready! | Tes champignons perfaitement découpés sont prêts! |
| Oh, okay, is there a problem with your house? | Ah, okay, il y a un problème avec votre maison? |
| It's individually, the small ones are 30p, big ones 50p. | C'est individuellement, les petits coûtent 30p et les grand coûtent 50p. |
| First of all, it's so sad to see them in pain. | Tout d'abord, c'est vraiment triste ce voir que votre animal souffre. |
| It's always the same. | C'est toujours pareil. |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | Il y a un problème avec la batterie de ton téléphone? |
| Do you like them with or without the skin on? | Tu les veux avec ou sans la peau? |
| That one is a single room, I want a double. | Cette chambre est simple, j'en veux une double. |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Vraiment ? Comment fais-je pour te réveiller ? |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | Bien vu, je suis sûr qu'ils ne paient pas autant! |
| I usually take the train. | Je prends généralement le train. |
| The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | La recette ne vient pas d'internet, mais d'un livre de Jamie Oliver. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not a big problem for him. | Je ne savais, j'espère que c'est pas un gros problème pour lui. |
| Let me check, we only need butter. | Laisse-moi vérifier, nous n'avons seulement besoin que de beurre. |
| Look, there is a shop assistant. | Regarde, il y a un assistant. |