







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 | |
|---|---|
| What do you think about him, Cate? | Que penses-tu de lui Cate ? |
| Congratulations, I wish you luck. | Félicitations, je vous souhaite bonne chance. |
| I mean, you don't live here with anyone from your family. | Je veux dire, tu n'habites avec aucun membre de ta famille. |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | Merci, à Samedi 13h alors. |
| I am, I have to be there at 12:30. | Si, je dois y être pour 12h30. |
| I think the price is very cheap. | Je pense que le prix est vraiment bas. |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Très bien, je pense que je sais qui sait... |
| I would like to... But I have other things to do... | J'aimerais bien également... Mais j'ai d'autres choses à faire... |
| Maybe we can get something on the way to the station. | Peut être qu'on peut manger un morceau sur le chemin de la gare. |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | Un bouquet de semble-t-il suffisant ? |
| Hey, we are back. | Salut, nous sommes de retour. |
| No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | Non, je ne le ferai pas... Je n'ai plus envie d'avoir un maison à Mayfair ! |
| Does that help you to believe me? | Est-ce que ça t'aide à me croire? |
| Where are you? | Où es-tu? |
| I've experienced how difficult and expensive it can be. | J'ai déjà vu à quel point ils étaient chers. |
| 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 ! |
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | Peu-être qu'ils préfèrent mettres des plaques électriques dans les colocations pour des raisons de sécurité. |
| It looks like you've got some experience with coffee. | On dirait que tu as de l'expérience avec le café. |
| What's the time, are we early? | Quelle heure est-il, on est en avance? |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | Je suis sur la route pour Brighton, je suis presque arrivé! |