







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 | |
|---|---|
| But it has expired and it has a hole in it. | Mais il est périmé et a un trou sur son emballage. |
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Ok, on dirait qu'il n'y a aucune agression entre eux. |
| The recipe is for 6 people. | La recette est pour 6 personnes. |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Exactement, donc penses-tu que les escargots sont des insectes ou non ? |
| Erm.. Isn't it there? | Hum... il n'est pas là ? |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | Je vais lui demander de sortir Bear, pour qu'on puisse prendre le petit déjeuner. |
| How are you? | Et vous ? |
| Dear, who is it? | Chéri, c'est qui? |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | Peu importe, que nous reste-t-il à faire désormais ? |
| My cat is in the garden. | Mon Chat est dans le jardin. |
| Yes, I still don't do it. | Oui, je ne le fais toujours pas. |
| He is the bartender. | C'est le barman. |
| I hate taking long flights! | Je déteste prendre de longs vols! |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | C'est quand même 5£ de plus que la plus grande chambre! |
| Okay, how much salt do you want me to add? | Ok, combien de sel veux-tu que je mette? |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Bonjour madame, êtes vous toujours en ligne ? |
| Do you want me to call them? | Tu veux que je les appelle ? |
| It only takes 15 or 20 minutes. | Cela ne prends que 15 ou 20 minutes. |
| I guess I can meet you there at 20:30, or is it too late? | Je pense qu'on peut se voir là-bas vers 20h30, ou est-ce trop tard ? |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | Je ne sais pas, peut-être que ça aide un peu! |