







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 | |
|---|---|
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | Oh Jésus Christ... J'ai compris maintenant ! C'est dégoûtant... |
| You are so realistic dear, where is your wedding ring? | Tu es tellement réaliste chérie, où est ta bague de fiançailles ? |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | Ça serait bien ! Penses-tu que ça sera possible ? |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Je n'aime pas aller à l'hôpital non plus. |
| Do you remember me? | Vous vous souvenez de moi ? |
| There is a little market near the school. | Il y a une petite boutique à côté de l'école. |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Heu, soit dit en passant, tant qu'on est sur le sujet... |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Est-ce que votre chien est un Chow Chow ? |
| I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | Je ne pense pas qu'il soit possible de trouver plus de configurations. |
| Do you live in this house, too? | Vous vivez dans cette maison? |
| That's okay, I don't mind. | C'est okay, ça ne me dérange pas. |
| 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. |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Je pense que nous devons tous partir bientôt. |
| There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | Il y a un robot dans le corps d'un enfant, mais il ne sait pas que c'est un robot. |
| It's individually, the small ones are 30p, big ones 50p. | C'est individuellement, les petits coûtent 30p et les grand coûtent 50p. |
| What's your maximum monthly budget for the rent? | Quel est ton budget mensuel maximum pour la location? |
| Ta-ta here it is... | Ta-ta elle est là... |
| How long does it usually take? | Combien de temps cela prend-t-il ? |
| Oh, sorry, I also need a grater for the cheese. | Oh, désolée, j'ai aussi besoin d'un râpe pour le fromage. |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | J'espère que cela ne dérange pas vos amies. |