







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 | |
|---|---|
| What's the time, are we early? | Quelle heure est-il, on est en avance? |
| Erm.. Isn't it there? | Hum... il n'est pas là ? |
| The room is spacious and sunny and the bed looks comfortable! | La chambre est spacieuse et le lit a l'air confortable! |
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | Du coup, Pogo ne craint pas les chiens. |
| I didn't say it's your fault, but it's your turn now... | Je n'ai pas dit que c'était de ta faut, mais c'est ton tour maintenant... |
| Right! Who wants chardonnay, then? | Bien ! Qui veut du Chardonney alors ? |
| 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. |
| But Bear has got hip dysplasia. | Mais Bear est atteint de dysplasie. |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Bien sûr, mon nom est Cate et mon numéro est le 077... |
| He must be sleeping, he usually works at night, too. | Il doit être en train de dormir, il travaille souvent la nuit aussi. |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | Je ne sais pas, peut-être que ça aide un peu! |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | Je voudrais essayer le Sauvignon Blanc. |
| Um, I don't feel like eating anything but fish today. | Et bien, je sens que je ne mangerai rien à part du poisson aujourd'hui. |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | Okay, nous voilà, c'est Honeybrook Street. |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | Je vais lui demander de sortir Bear, pour qu'on puisse prendre le petit déjeuner. |
| Girls, this is Diego. | Les filles, voici Diego. |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Je peux cuisiner, bien sûr, mais seulement quand j'en ai envie. |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Heu, soit dit en passant, tant qu'on est sur le sujet... |
| Wow, that's unbelievable, is it yours? | Wow, c'est incroyable, elle est à toi? |
| I guess you need to change your cooking plan now! | Je pense que tu as besoin de changer de plan de cuisson, maintenant! |