







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Salut Mike, pas vraiment, et toi? |
| No worries Mike, as I said, he only does it when he is stressed. | Pas de panique Mike, comme je l'ai dit, il ne le fait que lorsqu'il est extrêmement stressé. |
| Isn't it faster taking the tube? | Ce n'est pas plus rapide en bus ? |
| I've only got Saturday left before I have to move on Sunday. | Il ne me rester que Samedi avant de déménager Dimanche. |
| I live just opposite the pub. | Je vis en face du pub. |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | Bien sûr ! Pourquoi c'est si important? |
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | Ma barbe me rend plus vieux, je pense. |
| Also, one of my friends works there. | De plus, un de mes amis travaille ici. |
| He is the bartender. | C'est le barman. |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Bien sûr ! C'est mon pub préféré. |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Bien, c'est conclu ! Tu as 3 jours pour réfléchir à partir de maintenant ! |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | Et ces derniers jours, je vais très souvent dans ce pub. |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | Désolé Mme.Jones, il y a un malentendu... |
| You need to change planes at some point on the way. | On a besoin de changer d'avion à un moment donné. |
| Yes, I like them, too. | Oui, je les aime aussi. |
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Ok, on dirait qu'il n'y a aucune agression entre eux. |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | On dirait que Pogo veut aller dans le jardin. |
| How is your cat? | Comment va votre chat ? |
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | Peu-être qu'ils préfèrent mettres des plaques électriques dans les colocations pour des raisons de sécurité. |
| I don't think she wants to talk or solve anything! | Je ne penses pas qu'elle voudra résoudre quoi que ce soit! |