







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 | |
|---|---|
| See you Mike, hope to see you again. | Merci Mike, en espérant te revoir. |
| My landlords are a gay couple. | Les propriétaires sont un couple gay. |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | Bonjour, est-ce que votre chat va bien ? |
| No, it's the owner, she is an old lady and very strict about that. | Non, c'est la propriétaire, c'est une vieille dame et elle est très stricte à propos de ça. |
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | Du coup, Pogo ne craint pas les chiens. |
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | Tu ne penses pas que deux fourchettes soient assez? |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Bien sûr ! C'est mon pub préféré. |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | Dans ce cas, Pogo reste seul à la maison sans nourriture ni attention. |
| And sometimes they don't come home for days. | Et parfois, ils ne viennent pas à la maison pendant plusieurs jours. |
| By the way, my name's Mike, what's yours? | Au fait, je m'appelle Mike, et vous ? |
| Erm, we don't have any, but there is someone else's bread. | Euh, non, mais il y du pain qui appartient à quelqu'un d'autre. |
| Oh sorry dear, my husband has some difficulties hearing... | Oh, désolé mon cher, mon mari à des difficultés pour entendre... |
| How old are you? | Quel âge avez-vous ? |
| Hey, we are back. | Salut, nous sommes de retour. |
| Not long, my lessons start at 12:30. | Pas longtemps, mes cours commencent à 12h30. |
| Is that what you want to do? | Est-ce ce que tu veux faire ? |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | L' Australie est très stricte avec le respect des règles. |
| Is it big money? | C'est beaucoup d'argent? |
| I'm an English teacher. | Je suis professeur d'anglais. |
| I go out sometimes with the girls from school. | Je sors parfois avec les filles de l'école. |