







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 | |
|---|---|
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | Exactement, l'un d'entre eux nous demande 3500 et l'autre 3000... |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Veuillez m'excuser, j'ai besoin d'aller aux toilettes. |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | C'est pas très loin de là... Il y a une infime différence! |
| You are so realistic dear, where is your wedding ring? | Tu es tellement réaliste chérie, où est ta bague de fiançailles ? |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | Ce n'est pas grave, je pense qu'elles sont à la même distance. |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | J'espère que cela ne dérange pas vos amies. |
| Thank you, dear... For helping me to be a liar! | Merci, chéri... De m'avoir aidé à être une menteuse ! |
| Good boy, Beary! See, he is just a little friend. | Bon garçon Beary! C'est juste ta petite amie. |
| Yes, my number is 0773***0282. | Oui, mon numéro est 0773***0282. |
| Anyway, my lesson is starting now, I have to go. | Peu importe, mon cours commence, je dois partir. |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | Merci, j'ai 26 ans. |
| Are there any fries or any kind of snacks? | Y a-t-il des frites ou quelque chose à grignotter ? |
| Yes, they are all around 2 pounds. | Oui, ils coûtent tous à peu près 2 livres. |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Vraiment ? Comment fais-je pour te réveiller ? |
| Do we have a mortar and pestle? | Est-ce qu'on a un mortier et un pilon? |
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | Ma barbe me rend plus vieux, je pense. |
| I don't think it's a suitable movie for kids, dear. | Je ne pense pas que ça soit un film approprié aux enfants, chéri. |
| Why? What's wrong? | Pourquoi, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ? |
| But everybody calls him Rocco. | Mais tout le monde l'appelle Rocco. |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | En ce moment, je suis plutôt remix des années 60 et 70. |