







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do we have any bread to toast? | Est-ce qu'on a du pain à toaster? |
| Yeah, it's a very popular restaurant. | Ouais, c'est un restaurant très populaire. |
| Sorry, is it possible to see it this Saturday after 2 o'clock? | Désolé, c'est possible de se voir ce Samedi après 14h? |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Je suis désolé de vous dire qu'aucun n'animal n'est autorisé dans la maison! |
| Depends on where you look. | Ça dépend où tu regardes. |
| Then you can decide if I'm a good cook or not! | Tu pourras voir si je suis un bon cuisinier ou pas! |
| Why don't you get it then? Do you want to see upstairs or not? | Pourquoi ne la prenez-vous pas alors? Vous voulez voir l'étage ou non? |
| I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | J'espère que ce n'est pas la bonne adresse! Elle a l'air moche. |
| There is no table for you, then! | Il n'y a donc pas de table pour toi ! |
| My housemates don't clean anything in the kitchen. | Mes colocataires ne nettoient rien dans cette cuisine. |
| What's the date today? | Quel jour sommes nous? |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | Oh, mon Dieu, c'est la deuxième chose que je déteste faire dans la cuisine! |
| I think I've got a better idea about what to do with the bed! | Je pense que j'ai une meilleure idée concernant quoi faire avec le lit ! |
| You are lucky! | Tant mieux ! |
| Bear's sitting here with me, his willy is out. | Bear est assis avec moi, son zizi est dehors. |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | Nous sortons ce soir pour Laura. |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | Je ne comprends pas pourquoi il appellent cela un jour férié. |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | J'ai une soeur, elle a dix-neuf ans. |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Quel type de musique aimes-tu le plus ? |
| You look a bit sad, are you okay? | Tu sembles un peu triste, tout va bien? |