







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 | |
|---|---|
| Is it because of the cost, or another reason? | Est-ce que c'est à cause du prix, ou est-ce une autre raison? |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | Et, maintenant, il nous reste plein de champignons à utiliser. |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | Eh bien, je suis habituée aux mauvais nouvelles aujourd'hui, qu'y a-t-il? |
| Do you need to wake up early tomorrow or something? | Vous devez vous lever tôt demain ? |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | Je n'arrive pas à croire que tu n'aies toujours pas compris ! |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | J'aime les musique de Jamiroquai, mais pas toutes d'entre elles. |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | Et puis, les vétérinaires sont si chers ! |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Peut-être qu'elle est vraiment allergique aux chats, on ne le sait pas. |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | Bien sûr, notre cuisine a récemment été fournie... |
| Do you want me to call them? | Tu veux que je les appelle ? |
| I don't think it's hay fever! I believe it's from the cat... | Je ne penses pas que ce soit le rhume des foins! Je pense que ça vient du chat... |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Bien, c'est conclu ! Tu as 3 jours pour réfléchir à partir de maintenant ! |
| Mike, teriyaki is Japanese, we are at a Chinese restaurant. | Mike, le teriyaki c'est japonais, nous sommes dans un restaurant Chinois. |
| Here you can take it, be careful, it's very hot. | Tiens, tu peux le prendre, attantion, il est très chaud. |
| Then you can decide if I'm a good cook or not! | Tu pourras voir si je suis un bon cuisinier ou pas! |
| Do you really think it looks like we have a cleaner? | Est-ce qu'on a une tête à avoir un domestique? |
| But which button? It doesn't show which controls which! | Mais quel bouton? On ne sait pas lequel contrôle quoi! |
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | Pu**in, c'est qui à cette heure? |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | Mais c'est mon restaurant favori... |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | Je suis désolé du malentendu. |