







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 | |
|---|---|
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Eh bien, pas vraiment! Je n'aime pas cuisiner tant que ça. |
| So I don't snore everyday... | Donc je n'ai pas ronflé tous les jours... |
| I live just opposite the pub. | Je vis en face du pub. |
| Um.. it could be blue, I don't really remember. | Alors... Il pourrait être bleu, mais je ne m'en souviens pas très bien. |
| Sorry, is it possible to see it this Saturday after 2 o'clock? | Désolé, c'est possible de se voir ce Samedi après 14h? |
| You are so realistic dear, where is your wedding ring? | Tu es tellement réaliste chérie, où est ta bague de fiançailles ? |
| It's about a web project. | C'est à propos d'un projet web. |
| Come on, don't cry, she is just a stupid girl! | Allez, ne pleure pas, c'est juste une fille stupide! |
| Hmm.. yes, I need mushrooms, stock, celery... | Hmm...oui, j'ai besoin de champignon, de bouillon, de céleri,... |
| But that's true, some Chows are a bit aggressive. | Mais c'est vrai, quelques chow-chows sont un peu agressifs. |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | En ce moment, je suis plutôt remix des années 60 et 70. |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | Les filles, je vous présente Mike. |
| Kisses to you, too, I'll call you when I get there! | Bisous à toi aussi, je t'appellerai quand je serai là-bas ! |
| But before we go, can you call them and ask if they are okay with pets? | Mais d'abord, tu peux les appeler pour voir s'ils sont d'accord pour les animaux? |
| Do they weigh them here or at the checkout? | Les pèsent-ils ici où à la caisse ? |
| But he hisses occasionally, is it normal? | Mais il feule, c'est normal? |
| I haven't been there before, where is it? | Je n'avais jamais été là-bas auparavant, où est-ce que c'est ? |
| I don't want to talk about this issue in this house. | Je ne veux plus parler de ce problème dans cette maison. |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | Il va plus vite, mais nous ne voulons pas marcher jusqu'à la station de métro. |
| It's a double room plus we get a cleaner once a week. | C'est une double chambre et un domestique vient nettoyer une fois par semaine. |