







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 | |
|---|---|
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | Bien sûr, voici la salle de bains. |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | Je ne sais pas, peut-être que ça aide un peu! |
| That's a very interesting combination. | C'est une combinaison très intéressante. |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | Bonjour, je ne pense pas qu’elle soit cassée. |
| That's fine, I'm almost ready. | Tout va bien, je suis presque prête. |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | Non, on égoutte nos pâtes avec une râpe. |
| What kind of trick is that? | Quelle sorte de ruse est-ce ? |
| Is there a knife? | Il y a un couteau? |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Je ne pense pas que ce soit normal, et toi? |
| You are welcome, here is the menu, madam. | De rien, voici le menu, madame. |
| Is it big money? | C'est beaucoup d'argent? |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalement, il est bien plus cher que les autres. |
| He also wants to increase our rent by 50%! | Il veut aussi augmenter le loyer de 50%! |
| But... I'm not good at lying... | Mais... Je suis mauvaise pour mentir... |
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | Oh Jésus Christ... J'ai compris maintenant ! C'est dégoûtant... |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | Oh, désolée! Tu n'aimes pas nettoyer les choses, je peux le faire. |
| I'm sorry for not showing up at your opening. | Je suis désolé de ne pas avoir été là à l'inauguration. |
| What line is it on? | Quelle ligne il y a-t-il dessus ? |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | Les filles, je vous présente Mike. |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | Il a 70 ans, et ma mère en a 64. |