







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Ce n'est pas pour moi, c'est pour le riz chéri! |
| How is your mum, does she have any health problems? | Comment va ta mère, a-t-elle des problèmes de santé? |
| Are you really asking me that question? | Me poses-tu vraiment la question ? |
| I don't like their chardonnay. | Je n'aime pas leur Chardonnay. |
| 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 ! |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Oui, tu veux dire, des tricycles? |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | C'est tellement triste, quel âge ont tes parents? |
| Thanks for offering me that, dear. | Merci de me le proposer chéri. |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | Et nous avons à peser tout par nous même, etcetera. |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | Bonjour, avez-vous une carte de fidélité Tesco monsieur ? |
| Are you with your friends? | Etes-vous avec vos amis ? |
| Is it because it's too violent? | Est-ce parce que c'est trop violent ? |
| Is that okay for you? | Ça te va? |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Donc, c'est évident que tu n'as aucune idée du prix du loyer d'un maison. |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | Heu... Ouais... Bien sûr ! C'est notre premier anniversaire ! |
| What do you do? | Que faites-vous ? |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | 50% de 135 c'est 67.50... Ça fait 202.50 au total. |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | Ils ont aussi trois grandes fenêtres dans leur chambre! |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | Je ne pense pas que nous allons la payer. |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Très bien, je pense que je sais qui sait... |