







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 | |
|---|---|
| Where is Flora, isn't she here? | Où est Flora, n'est-elle pas là? |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | C'est pas emprunter, c'est voler! |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | Et, maintenant, il nous reste plein de champignons à utiliser. |
| Do you like red or white onions? | Tu préfères les oignons rouges ou blancs? |
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | Du coup, Pogo ne craint pas les chiens. |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Du bacon, des oeufs et quelques olives me suffisent. |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | Ça serait bien ! Penses-tu que ça sera possible ? |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | C'est quand même 5£ de plus que la plus grande chambre! |
| Are you really asking me that question? | Me poses-tu vraiment la question ? |
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | Ouais, on dirait que le printemps est le pire moment pour avoir des allergies! |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | Parfois, il ne reconnaît même pas ma mère. |
| How old do I look? | Quel âge pensez-vous que j'ai ? |
| Thank you, dear... For helping me to be a liar! | Merci, chéri... De m'avoir aidé à être une menteuse ! |
| I would like to... But I have other things to do... | J'aimerais bien également... Mais j'ai d'autres choses à faire... |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Il n'y a-t-il pas quatre d'entre nous chéri ? |
| I think I'm going to order some duck, it's delicious. | Je crois que je vais commander du canard, c'est délicieux. |
| How do you want me to chop the onions, big or small? | Comment tu veux que je coupe les oignons, en gros ou en petit morceaux? |
| Good boy, Beary! See, he is just a little friend. | Bon garçon Beary! C'est juste ta petite amie. |
| Of course, she is an angel, do you want to talk to your mum? | Bien sûr, c'est un ange, vous voulez parler à votre mère? |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | Allons, Mike, ça ne relève pas de moi à la maison. |