







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 | |
|---|---|
| What line is it on? | Quelle ligne il y a-t-il dessus ? |
| I like the seafood restaurants there. | J'aime les restaurants de crustacés là-bas. |
| Let me check... when is best for you? | Laissez-moi vérifier... Quand est-ce le meilleur pour vous ? |
| Ta-ta here it is... | Ta-ta elle est là... |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | Non, on égoutte nos pâtes avec une râpe. |
| Because you are in it. | Tu es avec moi. |
| It's £135 per week! | 135£ par semaine! |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | Parfois, il ne reconnaît même pas ma mère. |
| It definitely costs a lot, but that's not the only problem. | Ça coûte très cher effectivement, mais ce n'est pas le seul problème. |
| Umm, you can tell them it's our wedding anniversary. | Heu, tu pourrais leur dire que c'est notre anniversaire de mariage. |
| 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. |
| No, it's the owner, she is an old lady and very strict about that. | Non, c'est la propriétaire, c'est une vieille dame et elle est très stricte à propos de ça. |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | On dirait que Pogo veut aller dans le jardin. |
| Is it because it's too violent? | Est-ce parce que c'est trop violent ? |
| I took Bear out and I'm just about to leave. | J'ai pris Bear et je suis sur le point de partir. |
| Hello, what kind of dog do you have, Mike? | Bonjour, quel race de chien avez-vous ? |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | Les filles, je vous présente Mike. |
| Oh, okay, is there a problem with your house? | Ah, okay, il y a un problème avec votre maison? |
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | Pendant la soirée d'hier, nous avons été ouverts jusqu'à très tard, et tu connais son excuse. |
| You know, I usually have some early morning lessons. | Tu sais j'ai l'habitude de suivre des cours tôt le matin. |