







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hello, is that Cate? | Salut, c'est Cate? |
| Sorry, I don't have much time, can I tell you the story when I'm back? | Désolé, je n'ai pas trop le temps, je peux continuer l'histoire quand je reviens? |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | Et nous avons à peser tout par nous même, etcetera. |
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | Peu-être qu'ils préfèrent mettres des plaques électriques dans les colocations pour des raisons de sécurité. |
| My friend noted here it is your wedding anniversary! | Mon ami a noté ici que c'était votre anniversaire de mariage ! |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | C'est bien... J'espère que ce n'est pas une adolescente ! Quel âge a-t-elle ? |
| He's a... Sorry Mike, what do you do? | Il est... désolé Mike, que faites-vous ? |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Hum... Peut-être 30 ans ? |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | C'est le dernier et malheureusement l'emballage est trouée. |
| Yes, it is, but yours isn't so obvious. | Oui, c'est clair, mais le tien n'est pas si flagrant. |
| Then he finds out he is a robot, not a real kid. | Ensuite, il découvre qu'il est un robot et pas un vrai enfant. |
| How long does the flight usually take? | Et ils durent combien de temps en général? |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Donc veux-tu que je trouve une maison de moi-même ? |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | Et ça, c'est ma petite amie, Cate. |
| Is it really on the menu? | Est-ce vraiment sur le menu ? |
| I would like to... But I have other things to do... | J'aimerais bien également... Mais j'ai d'autres choses à faire... |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | J'ai encore deux cours, je finis à trois heures trente. |
| Maybe I know your friend. | Peut-être que je connais votre ami. |
| Why? What's wrong? | Pourquoi, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ? |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | Non, je ne sais pas ce qu'il y a dans ton frigo. |