







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 need to use chicken stock for the risotto! | J'ai besoin d'un fond de volaille pour le risotto! |
| That's a very interesting combination. | C'est une combinaison très intéressante. |
| Okay, if you say so, I trust you! | Ok, si tu le dis, je te crois! |
| That's why I never trust quiet people... | C'est pour ça que je ne fais pas confiance aux gens silencieux... |
| Do you have any area in mind? | As-tu une idée en tête ? |
| Yeah, and the market is good, is Camden Lock in zone-2 or 3? | Ouais, et le marché est bon, Carmen Lock est-il en zone 2 ou 3 ? |
| When I have free time. | Quand j'ai du temps libre. |
| Do you want me to put it in the bin? | Tu veux que je la jette à la poubelle? |
| I think I did, too, but I've got a really bad headache! | Je crois que j'ai bien dormi aussi, mais j'ai un très mauvais mal de tête! |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | Ma chérie bien-aimée me dit toujours à quel point vos rouleaux de printemps sont bons. |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | J'ai encore deux cours, je finis à trois heures trente. |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | Eh bien, je suis habituée aux mauvais nouvelles aujourd'hui, qu'y a-t-il? |
| Her name is Ayumi! | Son nom est Ayumi ! |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | Hum... demain est un jour férié. |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Mais Tesco est plus grand, ils ont une plus grande diversité de produits. |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | L' Australie est très stricte avec le respect des règles. |
| It sounds important. | Cela semble important. |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | J'aime les musique de Jamiroquai, mais pas toutes d'entre elles. |
| We all love bank holidays. | Nous adorons les jours fériés. |
| To me, wasting it is weirder! | Pour moi, gaspiller c'est plus bizarre ! |