







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 | |
|---|---|
| No worries, it's free for you today. | Pas de problème, c'est gratuit pour toi aujourd'hui. |
| I don't like violence in real life, I only like it in movies. | Je n'aime pas la violence dans la vraie vie, je l'aime uniquement dans les films. |
| My rent is monthly, I pay £600 per month. | Je paye mensuellement, 600£ par mois. |
| Hope to see you later. | En espérant vous revoir. |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | Peu importe, je dois aller au petit coin également... |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mon dieu ! il est presque 12 heures. |
| Okay, who sings it? | Okay, qui les chante ? |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | C'est comme sur la pub. |
| What's the reason for the cancellation this time? | Pourquoi annuler à ce moment-ci? |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Tu as des frères ou des soeurs? |
| Well, one of them is 2,800, but bills are not included... | Bien, l'un d'eux est de 2800 mais les factures ne sont pas incluses... |
| That's why the rent is much lower than average. | C'est pour ça que le loyer est bien plus bas que la moyenne. |
| Do you have another one? | Tu en as une autre? |
| Erm, we don't have any, but there is someone else's bread. | Euh, non, mais il y du pain qui appartient à quelqu'un d'autre. |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | Ça serait bien ! Penses-tu que ça sera possible ? |
| Yes, of course I remember. | Oui, bien sûr que je me souviens. |
| I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | Je ne pense pas qu'il soit possible de trouver plus de configurations. |
| Did I? I don't know... What is it? | Ah bon? Je ne sais pas... Qu'est-ce que c'est? |
| I don't believe you! What's the difference today? | Je ne te crois pas, quelle est la différence aujourd'hui? |
| But we have to be quick, I don't have much time. | Mais on doit se dépêcher, je n'ai pas beaucoup de temps. |