







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 | |
|---|---|
| Okay, maybe it's better for you to have some rest. | Okay, peut-être que c'est mieux pour toi de prendre un peu de repos. |
| For the risotto, I need some arborio rice. | Pour le risotto, j'ai besoin de riz arborio. |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | Désolé Mme.Jones, il y a un malentendu... |
| That's okay, I don't mind. | C'est okay, ça ne me dérange pas. |
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | Un cursus d'un an ? Quel genre de cursus est-ce ? |
| That's why the rent is much lower than average. | C'est pour ça que le loyer est bien plus bas que la moyenne. |
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | Entrez, au rez-de-chausse, on a deux chambres... |
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | Bien sûr, il y a quatre filles, toutes étudiantes d'Allemagne. |
| I'm an English teacher. | Je suis professeur d'anglais. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | Et la première c'est laver la vaiselle et nettoyer? |
| I don't know, maximum 33? | Je ne sais pas, 33 ans maximum ? |
| Yes, it is, but yours isn't so obvious. | Oui, c'est clair, mais le tien n'est pas si flagrant. |
| But before we go, can you call them and ask if they are okay with pets? | Mais d'abord, tu peux les appeler pour voir s'ils sont d'accord pour les animaux? |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | Tu sais, certaines personnes n'aiment pas poster leurs publicités sur Internet. |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | Nous sortons ce soir pour Laura. |
| The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | La recette ne vient pas d'internet, mais d'un livre de Jamie Oliver. |
| Hello, what kind of dog do you have, Mike? | Bonjour, quel race de chien avez-vous ? |
| I think we should wait for a while till all that smoke disappears. | Je pense qu'on devrait attendre jusqu'à ce que cette fumée disparaisse. |
| It says best before 25th of February. | Il est indiqué au mieux avant le 25 Février. |
| No, this one is the shop's own brand, that's why it's not expensive. | Non, celui-ci est celui de la marque du magasin, c'est pourquoi il n'est pas si cher. |