







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 searched: does Pinocchio know he is not a real boy. | J'ai cherché : est-ce que Pinnochio sait qu'il n'est pas un vrai garçon. |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Bien sûr, mon nom est Cate et mon numéro est le 077... |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Il est 4 heure et demi, on est donc pile à l'heure. |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | Je ne veux plus rester dans cette maison! |
| Do you have any area in mind? | As-tu une idée en tête ? |
| How old are you? | Quel âge avez-vous ? |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | Est-ce que t'as bien vérifié, on en a aucun? |
| Are you close friends? | Etes-vous des amis proches ? |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | Comment ose-t-il... Il est tellement stupide!!! |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | Merci Rocco, c'est bon pour l'instant. |
| 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? |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Je ne pense pas que ce soit normal, et toi? |
| Thank you again for giving me your turn. | Merci encore de m'avoir fait passé avant vous. |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Ouais, je pense que tuer les moustiques est correct. |
| Come on dear, I know you want me to! | Allez chéri, je sais que tu le veux! |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | Ouais, mais la chambre est carrée et il n'y a que quatre meubles principaux dedans. |
| It's individually, the small ones are 30p, big ones 50p. | C'est individuellement, les petits coûtent 30p et les grand coûtent 50p. |
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | Cate, ça va? Tu as l'air un peu aggressive. |
| Isn't that funny? | C'est drôle, n'est-ce pas ? |
| I live very close by. | Je vis très proche d'ici. |