







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 | |
|---|---|
| Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | Nous y voilà, je suis sûr qu'ils payent moins. |
| Taking Bear out usually takes me an hour. | Sortir Bear me prend généralement une heure. |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Salut Mike, pas vraiment, et toi? |
| Sorry, I hope it doesn't ruin your childhood memories... | Pardon, J'espère que ça ne ruine pas tes souvenirs d'enfance... |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Et bien, je n'y arrive pas, je pense que ça fait bien plus que 150 ans. |
| But sometimes I feel guilty not being there! | Mais parfois, je me sens coupable de ne pas être là! |
| I don't like their chardonnay. | Je n'aime pas leur Chardonnay. |
| Oh, sorry, I also need a grater for the cheese. | Oh, désolée, j'ai aussi besoin d'un râpe pour le fromage. |
| I'm calling him now then, do you want anything else? | Je l'appelle maintenant alors, tu as besoin de quelque chose? |
| Sorry, I don't have much time, can I tell you the story when I'm back? | Désolé, je n'ai pas trop le temps, je peux continuer l'histoire quand je reviens? |
| 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... |
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | Tu veux que je mette le poulet dans la cocotte? |
| It's too fruity. | Il est trop fruité. |
| I think so, at least there is no aggression. | Je pense, au moins il n'y a pas d'agression. |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | Il a 70 ans, et ma mère en a 64. |
| No, but I definitely don't want to live in that house anymore! | Non, mais je ne veux plus du tout vivre dans cette maison ! |
| Nope, it gives me a headache! | Non, j'en aurai la tête qui tourne ! |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | Qu’aurais-je pu faire d'autre? Tu t'attends à ce que je ne dorme plus jusqu'à ce que je meure? |
| That's why they're 50% off. | C'est pourquoi ils ont 50% de réduction. |
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | Oui, c'est peu commun, mais c'est ce qu'ils suggèrent dans la recette. |