







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 genre do you listen to? | Quel genre de musique écoutes-tu ? |
| Is there a knife? | Il y a un couteau? |
| That's a good choice, they do great calamari here, too. | Il s'agit d'un bon choix, ils font du bon calamar ici aussi. |
| I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | Je suis désolé mais c'est rien d'exceptionnel. |
| I think Diego and I are the only smokers in the house. | Je pense que Diego et moi sommes les seuls fumeurs dans la maison. |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | Tu veux que je fasse autre chose? |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Il est 4 heure et demi, on est donc pile à l'heure. |
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | Tu peux demander ce que tu veux savoir. |
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | Ma barbe me rend plus vieux, je pense. |
| Okay, I found it... but it looks filthy! | Ok, je l'ai trouvé... mais elle a l'air sale! |
| I'm happy to hear we have similar music taste! | Je suis content d'entendre que nous avons des goûts musicaux similaires ! |
| Oh f*ck off, I've got to go now... | Oh vas te faire f*utre, je dois partir... |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Je pense qu'il veut boire de l'eau. |
| Is that you, Mike? | C'est toi, Mike? |
| Wow, that's unbelievable, is it yours? | Wow, c'est incroyable, elle est à toi? |
| He looks like he is interested in you! | Il semble s'intéresser à toi ! |
| That's a perfect time to see a house... | C'est le moment parfait pour visiter une maison... |
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | Ouais, c'est un grand pays, c'est plus un contient. |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | Bear supporte tout à fait les chats, mais pas les chiens. |
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | Peut être que je suis d'humeur changeante le premier jour de mes règles. |