







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 | |
|---|---|
| You don't know the story behind it. | Tu ne connais pas l'histoire que se cache derrière. |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | Hum... Alors que tes mains sont encore sales... |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | C'est très difficile pour moi d'y aller plus d'une fois par an. |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Donc, c'est évident que tu n'as aucune idée du prix du loyer d'un maison. |
| Do you like them with or without the skin on? | Tu les veux avec ou sans la peau? |
| Okay, what temperature do you want me to set it at? | Ok, tu veux que je le mette à quelle témpérature? |
| Can I get you some more drinks? | Voulez-vous que je rafraîchisse vos boissons tout d'abord monsieur? |
| I've finally completed it and tomorrow is the big day! | Je l'ai finalement terminé et demain est un grand jour ! |
| Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | Ou pire, parfois, ils font la fête à la maison! |
| The packets have 2 pieces in them. | Les paquets ont 2 pièces. |
| Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | Nous y voilà, je suis sûr qu'ils payent moins. |
| I'm a web designer. | Je suis web designer. |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Je pense qu'il veut boire de l'eau. |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Eh bien, pas vraiment! Je n'aime pas cuisiner tant que ça. |
| I live very close by. | Je vis très proche d'ici. |
| Is that okay for you? | Ça te va? |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | Minute, je me souviens de toi disant que tu ne tuais jamais d'animaux ! |
| How many people live in this house? | Combien de personnes vivent ici? |
| It's very difficult to talk to you on the phone right now. | C'est vraiment difficile de te parler en ce moment. |
| But we have to be quick, I don't have much time. | Mais on doit se dépêcher, je n'ai pas beaucoup de temps. |