







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 look at this big boy, he gets bigger everytime I see him! | Oh regarde moi ce toutou, il est toujours plus grand que la dernière fois ! |
| What's your favourite movie? | Quel est ton film préféré ? |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | Mais c'est mon restaurant favori... |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | C'est mon petit ami, Mike. |
| Don't worry Mike, I think this one is better. | Ne t'en fais pas Mike, je pense que celle-ci est meilleure. |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Je peux cuisiner, bien sûr, mais seulement quand j'en ai envie. |
| Did I? I don't know... What is it? | Ah bon? Je ne sais pas... Qu'est-ce que c'est? |
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | Tu veux que j'appelle Diégo alors? |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Bonjour, êtes-vous Cate? |
| How much are they supposed to pay? | Combien doivent-ils payer? |
| Nope, oyster cards are only for transport in London. | Non, les oyster cards ne sont valables que pour les transports à Londres. |
| I don't like their chardonnay. | Je n'aime pas leur Chardonnay. |
| Hmm.. I think it's overdue. | Hmm... Je pense que c'est périmé. |
| No, it's not okay, I'm screwed now! | Non, tout va mal, je suis coincé maintenant! |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | Merci, j'ai 26 ans. |
| Thank you very much! | Merci beaucoup ! |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | C'est bien, visiter trois maisons en un jour c'est pas mal. |
| Is it possible not to be able to find return tickets? | C'est possible de ne pas en trouver? |
| Erm, she's the marketing manager at the company. | Euh, c'est le gestionnaire marketing de l'entreprise. |
| To me, wasting it is weirder! | Pour moi, gaspiller c'est plus bizarre ! |