







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hm, okay... I think I got it, is it like Pinocchio? | Ha, okay... Je pense que j'ai compris, c'est comme Pinocchio ? |
| I need to wake him up now! | Je dois le réveiller maintenant! |
| There is no table for you, then! | Il n'y a donc pas de table pour toi ! |
| What's wrong with him? | Qu’est-ce qui ne va pas avec lui ? |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Salut, pardonne-moi, je me suis un peu en retard. |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Peut-être qu'elle est vraiment allergique aux chats, on ne le sait pas. |
| I wear some of them, can I check them when I get back? | J'en porte quelques uns, je peux les regarder lorsque je reviendrai ? |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Tu sais que demain est mon dernier jour. |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Oui, c'est très important pour moi, en fait. |
| 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. |
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | Tu peux demander ce que tu veux savoir. |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Veuillez m'excuser, j'ai besoin d'aller aux toilettes. |
| Nope, it gives me a headache! | Non, j'en aurai la tête qui tourne ! |
| Do you have their number? | As-tu leur numéro ? |
| Yes, I think she's great! | Oui ! |
| 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? |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | Qu’aurais-je pu faire d'autre? Tu t'attends à ce que je ne dorme plus jusqu'à ce que je meure? |
| You're right, but he is not only here to fix things... | Tu as raison, mais il n'est pas seulement là pour réparer les choses... |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | Heu... Je sais que je ronfle occasionnellement, je le fais tous les jours ? |
| Thanks, but I don't have time to stay. | Merci, mais je n'ai pas le temps de rester. |