







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | Tu veux que j'appelle Diégo alors? |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | Un bouquet de semble-t-il suffisant ? |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Au fait, l'acompte est de 3000£ et c'est non-négociable... |
| Are you serious? | Vous êtes sérieuse ? |
| I wish you all the best. | Je vous souhaite tout le meilleur. |
| How much garlic do you want? | Quelle quantité d'ail veux-tu ? |
| What's the date today? | Quel jour sommes nous? |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Tu as des frères ou des soeurs? |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | Le rendez-vous n'est pas le problème en soi! |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Il a un an encore avant qu'il ne passe sa date de péremption. |
| Sorry, is it possible to see it this Saturday after 2 o'clock? | Désolé, c'est possible de se voir ce Samedi après 14h? |
| Why is that rice so special? | En quoi ce riz est-il si spécial? |
| Then he finds out he is a robot, not a real kid. | Ensuite, il découvre qu'il est un robot et pas un vrai enfant. |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | Il ne le fait que lorsqu'il est extrêmement stressé! |
| So I want to cook as much as I can now. | Alors je veux préparer autant à manger que possible. |
| Absolutely not, while you are working you smoke like a chimney. | Absolument pas, lorsque tu fumes, tu fumes comme une cheminée. |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Je pense que nous devons tous partir bientôt. |
| Do you mean the guy with the beard? | Tu parles de ce gars avec la barbe ? |
| How do you get to Brighton? | Comment allez-vous à Brighton ? |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | Okay, ce qui est en promotion a 20% de réduction aujourd'hui. |