







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 | |
|---|---|
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | C'est mon petit ami, Mike. |
| Okay, we have all the things we need, then. | Ok, on a tout ce qu'il nous faut alors. |
| I'm sure it's where it always is. | Je suis sûr qu'elle est à sa place. |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Salut, pardonne-moi, je me suis un peu en retard. |
| Unfortunately, she is a teenager, she is 19! | Malheureusement, elle est une adolescente, elle a 19 ans ! |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Hé, l'eau bout, tu veux que je la verse dans une casserole? |
| I mean, you don't live here with anyone from your family. | Je veux dire, tu n'habites avec aucun membre de ta famille. |
| Anyway, do you live around here, too? | Peu importe, vivez-vous prèt d'ici ? |
| I think you wake me up more often than mosquitoes do! | Je pense que tu me réveilles plus souvent que les moustiques ! |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | Hum... Alors que tes mains sont encore sales... |
| No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | Non, je ne le ferai pas... Je n'ai plus envie d'avoir un maison à Mayfair ! |
| I think the price is very cheap. | Je pense que le prix est vraiment bas. |
| I don't like their chardonnay. | Je n'aime pas leur Chardonnay. |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | On n'a qu'à calculer, je paye 135 par semaine pour une personne... |
| I like the seafood restaurants there. | J'aime les restaurants de crustacés là-bas. |
| Hmm.. yes, I need mushrooms, stock, celery... | Hmm...oui, j'ai besoin de champignon, de bouillon, de céleri,... |
| I usually take the train. | Je prends généralement le train. |
| That's why they're 50% off. | C'est pourquoi ils ont 50% de réduction. |
| That's why you have a headache now! | C'est pour ça que tu as mal à la tête! |
| I don't want to talk about this issue in this house. | Je ne veux plus parler de ce problème dans cette maison. |