







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 | |
|---|---|
| His name's Sergio. | Il s'appelle Sergio. |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Un appartement n'est pas une bonne idée pour Bear, il n'a pas de jardin. |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Il a un an encore avant qu'il ne passe sa date de péremption. |
| I guess my only choice is coming to your house! | Je crois que mon seul choix est de venir chez toi! |
| Is that okay for you? | Ça te va? |
| I usually take the train. | Je prends généralement le train. |
| That's not nice, Mike! | C'est pas sympa Mike! |
| How is your mum, does she have any health problems? | Comment va ta mère, a-t-elle des problèmes de santé? |
| That one is a single room, I want a double. | Cette chambre est simple, j'en veux une double. |
| Yeah, I think the logo looks much better in the centre, what do you think? | Ouais, je pense que le logo paraît bien mieux au centre, qu'en penses-tu ? |
| Do you like them with or without the skin on? | Tu les veux avec ou sans la peau? |
| No, it doesn't look clean, do you want me to clean it? | Non, il n'a pas l'air propre, tu veux que je le nettoie? |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Et bien, je n'y arrive pas, je pense que ça fait bien plus que 150 ans. |
| Plus the bathroom and the kitchen are clean. | En plus, la cuisine et la salle de bain sont propres. |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | Bien vu, je suis sûr qu'ils ne paient pas autant! |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | Le rendez-vous n'est pas le problème en soi! |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | En ce moment, je suis plutôt remix des années 60 et 70. |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | Je ne pense pas que nous allons la payer. |
| Why? What's wrong? | Pourquoi, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ? |
| Yes, that's a good idea. | Oui, c'est une bonne idée. |