







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 | |
|---|---|
| I'm a bit paranoid about it. | Je suis un peu paranoïaque à propos de ça. |
| Well, I don't think we need to cook too many things at once. | Eh bien, je ne pense pas qu'on a besoin de préparer plein de choses à la fois. |
| Yes, she is coming back, but isn't it what I always do? | Oui, elle revient, mais c'est pas ce que je fais d'habitude? |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | Hum... Alors que tes mains sont encore sales... |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | J'espère que cela ne dérange pas vos amies. |
| I hope you are aware it's your last 3 days to find a house... | J'espère que tu es au courant qu'il te reste trois jours pour trouver une maison... |
| Congratulations, I wish you luck. | Félicitations, je vous souhaite bonne chance. |
| Then I want to roast it, though. | Et après je vais le faire rôtir. |
| Depends on where you look. | Ça dépend où tu regardes. |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Désolé, j'ai oublié de te le dire, tu dois ouvrir le robinet très délicatement. |
| There is nothing much left to do, there are only bits and pieces. | Il n'y a plus grand chose à faire, il n'y a que des trucs par-ci par-là. |
| 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. |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Je pense qu'il veut boire de l'eau. |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | Je ne veux plus rester dans cette maison! |
| You are lucky! | Tant mieux ! |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | Bien sûr, voici la salle de bains. |
| Do you know the pub around the corner? | Connaissez-vous le pub au coin de la rue ? |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | Ils ont aussi trois grandes fenêtres dans leur chambre! |
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | Oh Jésus Christ... J'ai compris maintenant ! C'est dégoûtant... |
| Oh hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | Oh bonjour... J'ai oublié de le dire, il s'agit également d'un événement très spécial... |