







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hey, there is a stranger in the toilet, who is he? | Hé, il y a un inconnu dans les toilettes, c'est qui? |
| Okay, I want to have something similar then! | Okay, j'aimerais avoir quelque chose de similaire du coup ! |
| I live very close by. | Je vis très proche d'ici. |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | Dans ce cas, Pogo reste seul à la maison sans nourriture ni attention. |
| Hey, what happened? Is everything okay? | Hé, qu'est-ce qui ss'est passé? Tout va bien? |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | Heu... Je sais que je ronfle occasionnellement, je le fais tous les jours ? |
| Thanks for being thoughtful, dear. | Merci d'être consciencieux, chéri. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Au fait, l'acompte est de 3000£ et c'est non-négociable... |
| I'm not really in the mood to join them. | Je n'ai pas réellement envie de les rejoindre. |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | Merci Rocco, c'est bon pour l'instant. |
| Hmm.. I think it's overdue. | Hmm... Je pense que c'est périmé. |
| That's where Diego works, too! | C'est là où travaille Diégo aussi! |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Très bien, je pense que je sais qui sait... |
| But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | Mais je ne pense pas pouvoir tous les utiliser, il y en a trop! |
| Hello, my name is Mike, I'm Cate's boyfriend... | Bonjour, je m'appelle Mike, je suis le petit ami de Cate... |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | Oui, c'est une bonne idée. |
| Well, I hope he doesn't keep on pooping all around the house! | Bien, j'espère qu'il ne fera pas caca partout dans la maison! |
| Why is that rice so special? | En quoi ce riz est-il si spécial? |
| Where is Flora, isn't she here? | Où est Flora, n'est-elle pas là? |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | Donc 2017 moins 1841, ça fait... |