







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 | |
|---|---|
| Watch out for the 3rd step, it's not very stable. | Faites attention à la 3ème marche, elle n'est pas très stable. |
| Yes, I still don't do it. | Oui, je ne le fais toujours pas. |
| Can I get you some more drinks? | Voulez-vous que je rafraîchisse vos boissons tout d'abord monsieur? |
| I've found 2, too, there aren't many options in Camden Lock. | J'en ai trouvé 2 également, il n'y a pas beaucoup d'options à Camden Lock. |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | Je ne pense pas que nous allons la payer. |
| Sorry, madam, Friday is one of our busiest nights! | Pardon, madame, Vendredi est l'un des jours où ne sommes le plus occupés ! |
| Okay, that's fine. | Okay, ça me va. |
| Okay, so what's our plan now? | D'accord, qu'est-ce qu'on fait? |
| Is it because the other tenants don't want pets? | C'est parce que les autres résidents n'aiment pas les animaux? |
| Hang on, there is another web site that says... | Attends, il y a un autre site qui dit... |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | Peu importe, je dois aller au petit coin également... |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | J'ai l'habitude de préparer des plats à base de viande, poison et volaille. |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | Je voudrais essayer le Sauvignon Blanc. |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Il n'y a-t-il pas quatre d'entre nous chéri ? |
| It sounds important. | Cela semble important. |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Salut mon ami, comment vas-tu? |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | Les filles, je vous présente Mike. |
| That's right, we should never forget how irresponsible my housemates are. | C'est vrai, on devrait jamais oublier à quel point mes colocataires sont irresponsables. |
| Oh f*ck, what kind of tap is this? | Oh, p*tain, c'est quoi ce robinet? |
| Yes it is, how are you? | Oui c'est moi, comment vas-tu? |