







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 | |
|---|---|
| Did I? I don't know... What is it? | Ah bon? Je ne sais pas... Qu'est-ce que c'est? |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | J'en vois beaucoup là où je travaille à vrai dire. |
| You are so realistic dear, where is your wedding ring? | Tu es tellement réaliste chérie, où est ta bague de fiançailles ? |
| Who knows, I consider it as nothing more than a hobby. | Qui sait? Je pense plus qu'il s'agit d'un hobby. |
| Do you have a cigarette? | Tu as une cigarette ? |
| 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. |
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | Peu-être qu'ils préfèrent mettres des plaques électriques dans les colocations pour des raisons de sécurité. |
| Anyway, you only have 10 days left to leave that house. | Bref, tu n'as que 10 jours pour quitter la maison. |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Tu as des frères ou des soeurs? |
| Are you going to say sorry for saying I am stupid then? | Vas-tu t'excuser pour avoir dit que j'étais stupide, donc ? |
| Is it a single or a double room? | C'est une chambre simple ou double? |
| Do you have their number? | As-tu leur numéro ? |
| Come on dear, I know you want me to! | Allez chéri, je sais que tu le veux! |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | Je suis d'accord, les longs vols ne sont pas ma tasse de thé. |
| Okay, how long is it, do you know? | Okay, tu sais combien elle mesure? |
| So I want to cook as much as I can now. | Alors je veux préparer autant à manger que possible. |
| 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! |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Heu... Nous sommes mariés... Je veux dire, aujourd'hui c'est l'anniversaire de notre mariage ! |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | Ce genre de personnes irresponsables m'énervent! |
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | Oh Jésus Christ... J'ai compris maintenant ! C'est dégoûtant... |