







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Bonjour madame, êtes vous toujours en ligne ? |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | Ce genre de personnes irresponsables m'énervent! |
| When I have free time. | Quand j'ai du temps libre. |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | Ça aurait pu être sa mère... Qui sait? |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | Et la première c'est laver la vaiselle et nettoyer? |
| Do you live around here? | Vivez-vous prêt d'ici ? |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | Le chat n'est pas à moi, c'est celui de ma petite ami. |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Donc veux-tu que je trouve une maison de moi-même ? |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Tu veux que le plateau soit au milieu? |
| I was just joking, how are you? | Je plaisantais, comment allez-vous ? |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | J'ai un rendez-vous au Ministère de l'Intérieur pour l'extension de mon visa? |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | C'est pas ouf mais c'est assez important que tu me le dises. |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | Je ne comprends pas pourquoi il appellent cela un jour férié. |
| Oh f*ck, what kind of tap is this? | Oh, p*tain, c'est quoi ce robinet? |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | Parfois, il ne reconnaît même pas ma mère. |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | Je ne sais pas, peut-être que ça aide un peu! |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | C'est mon petit ami, Mike. |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | J'ai l'habitude de préparer des plats à base de viande, poison et volaille. |
| I think you wake me up more often than mosquitoes do! | Je pense que tu me réveilles plus souvent que les moustiques ! |
| But which button? It doesn't show which controls which! | Mais quel bouton? On ne sait pas lequel contrôle quoi! |