







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 | |
|---|---|
| You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | Tu as raison, il vaut probablement plus qu'une cigarette. |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | Et à quoi ressemble un professeur d'anglais ? |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | Bien sûr, notre cuisine a récemment été fournie... |
| I hope it’s not serious. | J'espère que ce n'est pas sérieux. |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | Bonjour, je ne pense pas qu’elle soit cassée. |
| We all love bank holidays. | Nous adorons les jours fériés. |
| Thanks for offering me that, dear. | Merci de me le proposer chéri. |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | Il ne le fait que lorsqu'il est extrêmement stressé! |
| That's why they're 50% off. | C'est pourquoi ils ont 50% de réduction. |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Exactement, donc penses-tu que les escargots sont des insectes ou non ? |
| No, it's not okay, I'm screwed now! | Non, tout va mal, je suis coincé maintenant! |
| Girls, this is Diego. | Les filles, voici Diego. |
| 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. |
| That's nice, what do you usually cook? | C'est bien, qu'est-ce que tu cuisines habituellement? |
| I've only got Saturday left before I have to move on Sunday. | Il ne me rester que Samedi avant de déménager Dimanche. |
| I usually take the train. | Je prends généralement le train. |
| What do you think, dear, do you like it, too? | Qu'est-ce que que tu en penses chéri, tu l'aimes bien aussi? |
| But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | Mais je ne pense pas pouvoir tous les utiliser, il y en a trop! |
| I like the seafood restaurants there. | J'aime les restaurants de crustacés là-bas. |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Est-ce que votre chien est un Chow Chow ? |