







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 | |
|---|---|
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | Toby! C'est Cate, c'est... mon amie, de Londres. |
| Oh yeah, it's our girls' night out tonight. | Oh oui, c'est notre soirées entre filles ce soir ? |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | Pogo est mon petit chat, y'a-t-il un problème? |
| When I have free time. | Quand j'ai du temps libre. |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | C'est très difficile pour moi d'y aller plus d'une fois par an. |
| Dear, who is it? | Chéri, c'est qui? |
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | Du coup, Pogo ne craint pas les chiens. |
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | Ma barbe me rend plus vieux, je pense. |
| I'm okay, how are you? | Je suis bien, et toi? |
| What do you do? | Que faites-vous ? |
| Is it because it's too violent? | Est-ce parce que c'est trop violent ? |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | On n'a qu'à calculer, je paye 135 par semaine pour une personne... |
| What's wrong with him? | Qu’est-ce qui ne va pas avec lui ? |
| Yes, that's the one. | Oui c'est celui-là. |
| I live just opposite the pub. | Je vis en face du pub. |
| What about that table? It looks better. | Et cette table ? Elle me semble meilleure. |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Très bien, je pense que je sais qui sait... |
| I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | Je suis désolé mais c'est rien d'exceptionnel. |
| Right! Who wants chardonnay, then? | Bien ! Qui veut du Chardonney alors ? |
| I think I deserve a kiss... | Je pense que je mérite un bisou... |