







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 | |
|---|---|
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | Ma barbe me rend plus vieux, je pense. |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Je suis vraiment impressionnée par l'architecture de cette gare. |
| No worries, it's free for you today. | Pas de problème, c'est gratuit pour toi aujourd'hui. |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | Il y en a plein d'autres, mais je pense que gumtree.com est le meilleur. |
| I am 24. | J'ai 24 ans. |
| That's right, we should never forget how irresponsible my housemates are. | C'est vrai, on devrait jamais oublier à quel point mes colocataires sont irresponsables. |
| I can't call him at the moment because his phone is unreachable. | Je ne peux pas l'appeler en ce moment, son téléphone n'est pas joignable. |
| We call it a sixth sense! | On appelle ça un sixième sens ! |
| Did I? I don't know... What is it? | Ah bon? Je ne sais pas... Qu'est-ce que c'est? |
| But maybe they are splitting up, I don't know yet. | Peut-être qu'ils se séparent, je ne sais pas encore. |
| I can't imagine myself being on a plane for that long! | Je n'arrive pas à m'imaginer dans un avion aussi longtemps! |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | Allez-vous souvent au Moulin à Vent ? |
| Hmm.. I think it's overdue. | Hmm... Je pense que c'est périmé. |
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | Féliciations... mais, Pogo c'est le nom d'un animal de compagnie? |
| Hmm, I like pop, rock, funk. | Heu, j'aime la pop, le rock et le funk. |
| Nope, I don't cook fancy things, only regular dishes. | Non, je ne prépare rien d'extravagant, seulement des plats basiques. |
| What do you think about him, Cate? | Que penses-tu de lui Cate ? |
| Are you really asking me that question? | Me poses-tu vraiment la question ? |
| You were explaining why you are here at 07:30 in the morning. | Tu m'expliquais pourquoi tu étais là à 7h30 du matin. |
| Yes, the guy with the beard is Mike. | Oui, le gars avec la barbe c'est bien Mike. |