







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 | |
|---|---|
| My landlords are a gay couple. | Les propriétaires sont un couple gay. |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | C'est vrai! Combien coûte ton loyer? |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | Hum... Alors que tes mains sont encore sales... |
| Where is your school, is it in central London? | Où se trouve ton école, au centre de Londre? |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | Et nous avons à peser tout par nous même, etcetera. |
| How are you? | Et vous ? |
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | Malheureusement, je n'en ai aucune ! Où est la tienne ? |
| Do you want to bet on it? | Tu veux parier ? |
| That's a perfect time to see a house... | C'est le moment parfait pour visiter une maison... |
| Hope to see you later. | En espérant vous revoir. |
| Do you have any relatives in London? | Et tu as des proches à Londres? |
| Nope, I don't cook fancy things, only regular dishes. | Non, je ne prépare rien d'extravagant, seulement des plats basiques. |
| Yes, I have got two sisters. | Oui, j'ai deux soeurs. |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | Oui, je suis là entrain d'attendre de bonnes nouvelles. |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | Je ne sais pas, peut-être que ça aide un peu! |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | Erm... Ils payent 170 par semaine. |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | Oui, c'était assez facile en fait, j'habite pas loin. |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | Ça serait bien ! Penses-tu que ça sera possible ? |
| No, she is a uni student in Russia. | Non, elle est étudiante à l'université en Russie. |
| Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | Salut les gars, c'est possible de faire moins de bruit? |