







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 | |
|---|---|
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | Oh, mon Dieu, c'est la deuxième chose que je déteste faire dans la cuisine! |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | Bonjour, est-ce que votre chat va bien ? |
| You look a bit sad, are you okay? | Tu sembles un peu triste, tout va bien? |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Je suis désolé de vous dire qu'aucun n'animal n'est autorisé dans la maison! |
| Hm, okay... I think I got it, is it like Pinocchio? | Ha, okay... Je pense que j'ai compris, c'est comme Pinocchio ? |
| My laptop is in it. | Mon ordinateur est dedans. |
| I can't call him at the moment because his phone is unreachable. | Je ne peux pas l'appeler en ce moment, son téléphone n'est pas joignable. |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | Non, j'ai de mauvaises allergies. |
| That's fine, I'm almost ready. | Tout va bien, je suis presque prête. |
| That's not nice, Mike! | C'est pas sympa Mike! |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Je n'ai aucune idée de ce que le riz arborio est! |
| What's wrong with him? | Qu’est-ce qui ne va pas avec lui ? |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | Un bouquet de semble-t-il suffisant ? |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Je n'aime pas aller à l'hôpital non plus. |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Ouais, c'est normal, il feule même quand j'achète de nouvelles chaussettes! |
| When I have free time. | Quand j'ai du temps libre. |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | Et ces derniers jours, je vais très souvent dans ce pub. |
| Okay, who sings it? | Okay, qui les chante ? |
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | Bien sûr cherie, tu veux un verre ou une bouteille ? |
| 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... |