







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 | |
|---|---|
| I'm just teasing you, dear, 200 degrees is okay! | Je rigolais chéri, 200 degrés suffisent! |
| How old are you? | Quel âge avez-vous ? |
| That's a perfect time to see a house... | C'est le moment parfait pour visiter une maison... |
| Yes, that's the one. | Oui c'est celui-là. |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Est-ce que votre chien est un Chow Chow ? |
| You were explaining why you are here at 07:30 in the morning. | Tu m'expliquais pourquoi tu étais là à 7h30 du matin. |
| I don't think you really want me to stay here anymore! | Je ne pense pas que tu veuilles vraiment que je reste ici! |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | Ta mère peut-elle gérer la situation toute seule? |
| Excuse me sir, here are your drinks and the menu. | Excusez-moi monsieur, voici vos boissons et le menu. |
| Let me check... Yes, there are some plates. | Laisse-moi vérifier... Oui, il y a quelques assiettes. |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | Okay, nous voilà, c'est Honeybrook Street. |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | Et nous avons à peser tout par nous même, etcetera. |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | Bien sûr ! Pourquoi c'est si important? |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | Tu peux rester avec moi jusqu'à ce que tu trouves où aller. |
| I think we need to put some of your clothes away. | Je pense qu'on devrait se débarrasser de quelques uns de tes habits. |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Veuillez m'excuser, j'ai besoin d'aller aux toilettes. |
| I think I deserve a kiss... | Je pense que je mérite un bisou... |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Hé, l'eau bout, tu veux que je la verse dans une casserole? |
| I don't know, maximum 33? | Je ne sais pas, 33 ans maximum ? |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | Pas de problème, tout le monde se sert de mes affaires. |