







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Salut, je ne m'appelle pas Dick, mais Nick, avec un N. |
| No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | Non, je ne le ferai pas... Je n'ai plus envie d'avoir un maison à Mayfair ! |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | Comment ose-t-il... Il est tellement stupide!!! |
| Yes, he is one of them. | Oui. C'est l'un d'entre eux. |
| Absolutely not, while you are working you smoke like a chimney. | Absolument pas, lorsque tu fumes, tu fumes comme une cheminée. |
| I'm sorry guys, there is no negotiation on the rent! | Désolé les gars mais il n'y a pas de négociation sur le loyer! |
| You know, I usually have some early morning lessons. | Tu sais j'ai l'habitude de suivre des cours tôt le matin. |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | Oui, j'aime manger des lasagnes un jour après leur préparation, elles ont un meilleur goût. |
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | Je ne pense pas, les trains quittent la gare toutes les 20 minutes à peu près. |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | Bonjour, est-ce que votre chat va bien ? |
| I'm just teasing you, dear, 200 degrees is okay! | Je rigolais chéri, 200 degrés suffisent! |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | C'est vrai! Combien coûte ton loyer? |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Hum... Peut-être 30 ans ? |
| Oh, I think I know them. | Oh, je crois que je sais ce que c'est. |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | Le reste de la maison est ok, mais la cuisine est un peu salle. |
| I would like to... But I have other things to do... | J'aimerais bien également... Mais j'ai d'autres choses à faire... |
| I don't like violence in real life, I only like it in movies. | Je n'aime pas la violence dans la vraie vie, je l'aime uniquement dans les films. |
| Hm, okay... I think I got it, is it like Pinocchio? | Ha, okay... Je pense que j'ai compris, c'est comme Pinocchio ? |
| 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? |
| It's got some water marks on it! | Il a des tâches d'eau! |