







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 | |
|---|---|
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | Bien sûr cherie, tu veux un verre ou une bouteille ? |
| Is that okay for you? | Ça te va? |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | C'est un plombier chéri, apparemment elles sont bouchées. |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | Pas de problème, tout le monde se sert de mes affaires. |
| Do you want me to make you a cup of tea or coffee? | Tu veux que je te fasse un thé ou un café? |
| Ah, I'm very sorry, but we're fully booked tonight! | Ah, je suis désolée, nous sommes compets ce soir ! |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | Bear supporte tout à fait les chats, mais pas les chiens. |
| You know, she is normally an extremely quiet and calm person. | Tu sais, c'est une personne très silencieuse et très calme d'habitude. |
| Do you know her well? | La connais-tu bien ? |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | Oui, j'aime manger des lasagnes un jour après leur préparation, elles ont un meilleur goût. |
| What's your favourite movie? | Quel est ton film préféré ? |
| I guess I can meet you there at 20:30, or is it too late? | Je pense qu'on peut se voir là-bas vers 20h30, ou est-ce trop tard ? |
| How much rice do you need? | Quelle quantité de riz as-tu besoin? |
| Yes, that's the one. | Oui c'est celui-là. |
| My laptop is in it. | Mon ordinateur est dedans. |
| Yes it is, how are you? | Oui c'est moi, comment vas-tu? |
| Do you have any relatives in London? | Et tu as des proches à Londres? |
| I think Diego and I are the only smokers in the house. | Je pense que Diego et moi sommes les seuls fumeurs dans la maison. |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | C'est comme sur la pub. |
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Ok, on dirait qu'il n'y a aucune agression entre eux. |