







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, Cate! Do you need anything? | Salut Cate ! Tu as besoin de quelque chose ? |
| Hey Mike, you look so worried! | Salut Mike, tu sembles si inquiet ! |
| That's why the rent is much lower than average. | C'est pour ça que le loyer est bien plus bas que la moyenne. |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | Non, j'ai de mauvaises allergies. |
| You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | Tu as raison, il vaut probablement plus qu'une cigarette. |
| People take cutlery to their rooms and don't bring it back! | Les gens emmènent les couverts dans leur chambre et ne les rapportent pas! |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | C'est un plombier chéri, apparemment elles sont bouchées. |
| That's why I never trust quiet people... | C'est pour ça que je ne fais pas confiance aux gens silencieux... |
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | Un cursus d'un an ? Quel genre de cursus est-ce ? |
| I wake up and make my bed, then tidy my room. | Je me réveille, je vais mon lit et je range ma chambre. |
| Oh sorry, unfortunately, that one is reserved. | Oh, je m'en vois navrée, celle-ci est réservée. |
| For the risotto, I need some arborio rice. | Pour le risotto, j'ai besoin de riz arborio. |
| And on the ground floor we have easy access to the garden. | Et, au rez de chaussé, on a un accès facile au jardin. |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Bonjour, êtes-vous Cate? |
| That's nice, the cupboards look good, the bench is okay... | C'est sympa, les placards on l'air bien, le banc est correct... |
| Well, maybe we can get a 2 bedroom flat. What do you think? | Bien, peut-être que nous pourrions avoir un appartement avec deux chambres. Qu'en penses-tu ? |
| You know, she is normally an extremely quiet and calm person. | Tu sais, c'est une personne très silencieuse et très calme d'habitude. |
| Is it Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus? | Est-ce Leicester Square ou Piccadilly Circus ? |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | Ça craint, tu as un rhume? |
| Oh hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | Oh bonjour... J'ai oublié de le dire, il s'agit également d'un événement très spécial... |