







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 guess time doesn't pass for you while I'm away. | J'imagine que le temps ne s'écoule plus lorsque je ne suis pas là. |
| Do you live around here? | Vivez-vous prêt d'ici ? |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Vraiment ? Comment fais-je pour te réveiller ? |
| You are right, is there anything you want me to buy on the way? | Tu as raison, il y a-t-il quelque chose que tu veuilles acheter pour moi en chemin? |
| I really don't know, but I believe it's more than 100 years old. | Je ne sais vraiment pas, mais je crois qu'elle a plus de 100 ans. |
| Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | Salut les gars, c'est possible de faire moins de bruit? |
| And Pogo gets very scared of the crowd and the noise. | Et Pogo a très peur à cause de la foule et du bruit. |
| Why do you think it's weird? | Pourquoi penses-tu que c'est bizarre ? |
| You are lucky! | Tant mieux ! |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 degrés devraient aller. |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Ouais, c'est normal, il feule même quand j'achète de nouvelles chaussettes! |
| Wow, that's unbelievable, is it yours? | Wow, c'est incroyable, elle est à toi? |
| It's got some water marks on it! | Il a des tâches d'eau! |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Exactement, donc penses-tu que les escargots sont des insectes ou non ? |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | J'ai une soeur, elle a dix-neuf ans. |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | Est-ce que t'as bien vérifié, on en a aucun? |
| Are there any fries or any kind of snacks? | Y a-t-il des frites ou quelque chose à grignotter ? |
| Thanks, but I don't have time to stay. | Merci, mais je n'ai pas le temps de rester. |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | C'est comme si le mal était caché en eux! |
| I'm really sorry to hear that, mate! | Je suis désolé d'entendre ça l'ami! |