







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 | |
|---|---|
| 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'm really sorry to hear that, mate! | Je suis désolé d'entendre ça l'ami! |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | L' Australie est très stricte avec le respect des règles. |
| Which website do you use? | Tu utilises quel site web? |
| I don't like smoking in the kitchen. | Je n'aime pas fumer dans la cuisine. |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh, vraiment ? Ce n'est pas bien. |
| Sorry, look, here is the station. | Désolé, regarde, c'est la gare. |
| 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. |
| Anyway, do you live around here, too? | Peu importe, vivez-vous prèt d'ici ? |
| Is there anything else I can do for you, love? | Est-ce que je peux faire autre chose pour toi, love ? |
| Yeah, I'll have a beer, I guess you want wine, Cate? | Ouais, je vous prendrais bien une bière, je suppose que tu veux du vin, Cate ? |
| I usually take the train. | Je prends généralement le train. |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | Bonjour, est-ce que votre chat va bien ? |
| I'm okay, how are you? | Je suis bien, et toi? |
| Is that a crack in the bath? | C'est une fissure dans la baignoire? |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 degrés est le maximum! |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | Ça aurait pu être sa mère... Qui sait? |
| Nope, as I said before, they live in Australia. | Non, comme je l'ai déjà dit, ils habitent en Australie. |
| Hello, is that Cate? | Salut, c'est Cate? |
| Excuse me sir, here are your drinks and the menu. | Excusez-moi monsieur, voici vos boissons et le menu. |