







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | Oui, il va très bien après s'être reposé pendant un certain temps. |
| Hello, my name is Mike, I'm Cate's boyfriend... | Bonjour, je m'appelle Mike, je suis le petit ami de Cate... |
| Oh f*ck off, I've got to go now... | Oh vas te faire f*utre, je dois partir... |
| What's your maximum monthly budget for the rent? | Quel est ton budget mensuel maximum pour la location? |
| I think 4000 quid is big enough. | Je crois que 4000 livres c'est déjà pas mal. |
| What about that table? It looks better. | Et cette table ? Elle me semble meilleure. |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | Bien sûr, voici la salle de bains. |
| How is your cat? | Comment va votre chat ? |
| How often do you have free time, then? | Et quand avez-vous du temps libre ? |
| I need to use chicken stock for the risotto! | J'ai besoin d'un fond de volaille pour le risotto! |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | Veux-tu que j'aille lui dire que tu es là? |
| They don't usually work after ten o'clock. | Ils ne travaillent généralement pas après dix heures. |
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | Avec des plaques au gaz, quelqu'un risque de les oublier, c'est trop dangeureux! |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Tu dois appuyer sur le bouton et le tourner vers la droite. |
| Yeah, I've got it! | Ouais, je l'ai! |
| Okay, the total is £36.74, sir. | Okay, le montant est de 36.74 livres monsieur. |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | Au fait, j'aime la couleur des murs... Qu'en penses-tu? |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | Tu peux rester avec moi jusqu'à ce que tu trouves où aller. |
| Yes, my number is 0773***0282. | Oui, mon numéro est 0773***0282. |
| Hey, there is a stranger in the toilet, who is he? | Hé, il y a un inconnu dans les toilettes, c'est qui? |