







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 | |
|---|---|
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Enfin, voici Cate et ses collègues de travail. |
| I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | Je suis désolé mais c'est rien d'exceptionnel. |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | Oui, il y en a aussi. |
| I've finally completed it and tomorrow is the big day! | Je l'ai finalement terminé et demain est un grand jour ! |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | Hum... Alors que tes mains sont encore sales... |
| That's fine, I'm almost ready. | Tout va bien, je suis presque prête. |
| There is one at 11:00 and the next one is at 11:20. | Il y en a un à 11:00 et le prochain à 11:20. |
| Let me check... when is best for you? | Laissez-moi vérifier... Quand est-ce le meilleur pour vous ? |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | Qu’aurais-je pu faire d'autre? Tu t'attends à ce que je ne dorme plus jusqu'à ce que je meure? |
| Don't worry Mike, I think this one is better. | Ne t'en fais pas Mike, je pense que celle-ci est meilleure. |
| I mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | Je veux dire, vous semblez bien jeune pour être un professeur. |
| I hope they are going to be here on time, too... I don't like waiting. | J'espère qu'ils seront à l'heure aussi,... je n'aime pas attendre. |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Quel type de musique aimes-tu le plus ? |
| Does that help you to believe me? | Est-ce que ça t'aide à me croire? |
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | Tu peux demander ce que tu veux savoir. |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | Donc 2017 moins 1841, ça fait... |
| Yes, I like them, too. | Oui, je les aime aussi. |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Du bacon, des oeufs et quelques olives me suffisent. |
| Come on, don't cry, she is just a stupid girl! | Allez, ne pleure pas, c'est juste une fille stupide! |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | Es-tu le seul fumeur dans la maison ? |