







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 | |
|---|---|
| Can I get you some more drinks? | Voulez-vous que je rafraîchisse vos boissons tout d'abord monsieur? |
| I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | Je déteste lorsque qu'ils volent autour de mes oreilles toute la nuit et lorsqu'ils me réveillent? |
| How are you? | Et vous ? |
| Come on dear, I know you want me to! | Allez chéri, je sais que tu le veux! |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Je peux l'amener ici avec moi quand je reviens pour le petit déjeuner. |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Quel type de musique aimes-tu le plus ? |
| Yes, I like them, too. | Oui, je les aime aussi. |
| Do you mean Rebecca and Cecilia? | Tu parles de Rebecca et Cecilia ? |
| How old are you? | Quel âge avez-vous ? |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Oui, c'est très important pour moi, en fait. |
| I've checked some, there is nothing I like so far. | Oui, j'en ai regardé quelques unes, je n'ai rien pour l'instant. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Au fait, l'acompte est de 3000£ et c'est non-négociable... |
| No, actually, he is properly toilet trained. | Non, à vrai dire, il est très propre. |
| Hm, it's comes to roughly £150 a week, it's about the same. | Hum, ça fait à peu près 150£ par semaine, c'est presque la même chose. |
| I've experienced how difficult and expensive it can be. | J'ai déjà vu à quel point ils étaient chers. |
| What's up? Is everything okay? | Ça va? Tout va bien? |
| Oh sorry dear, my husband has some difficulties hearing... | Oh, désolé mon cher, mon mari à des difficultés pour entendre... |
| Why? What's wrong? | Pourquoi, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ? |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | Heu... Ouais... Bien sûr ! C'est notre premier anniversaire ! |
| Is there any other cat around? | Il y en a un autre ici? |