







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Hé, l'eau bout, tu veux que je la verse dans une casserole? |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Peut-être qu'elle est vraiment allergique aux chats, on ne le sait pas. |
| As I said, it's much easier to open with two people. | Comme je l'avais dit, c'est plus facile de l'ouvrir à deux. |
| I wear some of them, can I check them when I get back? | J'en porte quelques uns, je peux les regarder lorsque je reviendrai ? |
| I would like to... But I have other things to do... | J'aimerais bien également... Mais j'ai d'autres choses à faire... |
| You look much younger than that. | Vous semblez plus jeune que cela. |
| Oh, sorry, I didn't know I wasn't allowed to order what I want! | Oh, pardon, je ne savais pas que je n'étais pas autorisé à commander ce que je veux ! |
| I took Bear out and I'm just about to leave. | J'ai pris Bear et je suis sur le point de partir. |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Enfin, voici Cate et ses collègues de travail. |
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | Tu veux que j'appelle Diégo alors? |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | Normalement, les filles regardent la liste de vins pendant une demie heure avant de commander quoi que ce soit. |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Est-ce que votre chien est un Chow Chow ? |
| If you are going to ask for money, I don't have any, either. | Si tu veux me demander de l'argent, je n'en ai pas non plus. |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | Mais c'est mon restaurant favori... |
| But I want to see Brighton Pier before the sun sets. | Mais j'ai envie de voir la jetée de Brighton avant que le soleil ne se couche. |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | Dans la recette, il est dit 600g. |
| I haven't seen her, either, and I don't really want to... | Je ne l'ai pas revue moi non plus, et je n'en ai pas vraiment envie... |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Vous ne ressemblez pas à un professeur d'anglais. |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Je n'aime pas aller à l'hôpital non plus. |
| We call it a sixth sense! | On appelle ça un sixième sens ! |