







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 | |
|---|---|
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | Merci, à Samedi 13h alors. |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Désolé, j'ai oublié de te le dire, tu dois ouvrir le robinet très délicatement. |
| I guess mine is older than yours! | Je pense que le mien est plus vieux que le tiens ! |
| The room is spacious and sunny and the bed looks comfortable! | La chambre est spacieuse et le lit a l'air confortable! |
| Bear hates being at a vet, too. | Bear aussi déteste aller chez le vétérinaire. |
| That's nice, I like the music and the lyrics. | C'est joli, j'aime la musique et les paroles. |
| Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | Oui monsieur, vous pouvez vous asseoir à cette table. |
| It seems there is no one in the house! | On dirait qu'il n'y a personne à la maison! |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Je suis désolé de vous dire qu'aucun n'animal n'est autorisé dans la maison! |
| Do you really think it looks like we have a cleaner? | Est-ce qu'on a une tête à avoir un domestique? |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | Veux-tu que j'aille lui dire que tu es là? |
| 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? |
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | Et il semble avoir 3 ans maintenant. |
| Does the kid think he is a robot or the robot think it's a kid? | L'enfant pense qu'il est un robot ou le robot pense qu'il est un enfant ? |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | On dirait un mélange entre l'accent Britannique et Australien. |
| It's not a nice thing to do. | C'est une bonne chose à faire. |
| I am, I have to be there at 12:30. | Si, je dois y être pour 12h30. |
| Is your father sick? | Ton père est-il malade? |
| Where is my f*cking tenner? | Où sont mes p*tains de dix balles? |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | Bien sûr, notre cuisine a récemment été fournie... |