







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | Tu veux que je mette le poulet dans la cocotte? |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Bien sûr ! C'est mon pub préféré. |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | On dirait un mélange entre l'accent Britannique et Australien. |
| Anyway, my lesson is starting now, I have to go. | Peu importe, mon cours commence, je dois partir. |
| Maybe we can get something on the way to the station. | Peut être qu'on peut manger un morceau sur le chemin de la gare. |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | Pogo est mon petit chat, y'a-t-il un problème? |
| That one is a single room, I want a double. | Cette chambre est simple, j'en veux une double. |
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | Oh non ! Êtes-vous sûr qu'il n'y a rien d'autre de disponible ? |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | Peu importe, je dois aller au petit coin également... |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | Je me sens un peu fatiguée et j'ai très faim. |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | C'est le dernier et malheureusement l'emballage est trouée. |
| Is that okay for you? | Ça te va? |
| I usually take the train. | Je prends généralement le train. |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | C'est vrai! Combien coûte ton loyer? |
| Is that a crack in the bath? | C'est une fissure dans la baignoire? |
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | Entrez, au rez-de-chausse, on a deux chambres... |
| No, no, nothing is wrong, no need to worry, we are all fine... | Non, non, il n'y a rien de grave, pas d'inquiétudes, tout va bien... |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | Je vais lui demander de sortir Bear, pour qu'on puisse prendre le petit déjeuner. |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Eh bien, pas vraiment! Je n'aime pas cuisiner tant que ça. |
| By the way, my name's Mike, what's yours? | Au fait, je m'appelle Mike, et vous ? |