







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Bonjour madame, êtes vous toujours en ligne ? |
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | Bien sûr cherie, tu veux un verre ou une bouteille ? |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | Es-tu le seul fumeur dans la maison ? |
| Congratulations, I wish you luck. | Félicitations, je vous souhaite bonne chance. |
| Is it really on the menu? | Est-ce vraiment sur le menu ? |
| No, because she is mental and can harm Pogo or Bear! | Non, parce qu'elle est folle et qu'elle peut faire du mal à Pogo ou Bear ! |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | Erm... Ils payent 170 par semaine. |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | Okay, nous voilà, c'est Honeybrook Street. |
| But it has expired and it has a hole in it. | Mais il est périmé et a un trou sur son emballage. |
| My housemates don't clean anything in the kitchen. | Mes colocataires ne nettoient rien dans cette cuisine. |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | On dirait que Pogo veut aller dans le jardin. |
| There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | Il y a un robot dans le corps d'un enfant, mais il ne sait pas que c'est un robot. |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | Ce n'est pas grave, je pense qu'elles sont à la même distance. |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | Allez-vous souvent au Moulin à Vent ? |
| Which appointment? Do you mean the house in Angel? | Quel rendez-vous? Tu veux dire la maison à Angel? |
| 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 ? |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Quel type de musique aimes-tu le plus ? |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | Hum... demain est un jour férié. |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | Ma chérie bien-aimée me dit toujours à quel point vos rouleaux de printemps sont bons. |
| I am alone till my friend comes. | Je suis seul jusqu'à ce que mon ami arrive. |