







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | Attends une minute, ils pèsent tous les deux 300gr et sont de la même marque. |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | Ce n'est pas grave, je pense qu'elles sont à la même distance. |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Morrison n'est-il pas plus près? |
| There is nothing much left to do, there are only bits and pieces. | Il n'y a plus grand chose à faire, il n'y a que des trucs par-ci par-là. |
| I can't imagine myself being on a plane for that long! | Je n'arrive pas à m'imaginer dans un avion aussi longtemps! |
| There is no table for you, then! | Il n'y a donc pas de table pour toi ! |
| But we have to be quick, I don't have much time. | Mais on doit se dépêcher, je n'ai pas beaucoup de temps. |
| I don't think it's hay fever! I believe it's from the cat... | Je ne penses pas que ce soit le rhume des foins! Je pense que ça vient du chat... |
| I think I deserve a kiss... | Je pense que je mérite un bisou... |
| I'm an English teacher. | Je suis professeur d'anglais. |
| 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. |
| Yeah, I think the logo looks much better in the centre, what do you think? | Ouais, je pense que le logo paraît bien mieux au centre, qu'en penses-tu ? |
| Congratulations, I wish you luck. | Félicitations, je vous souhaite bonne chance. |
| Do you have any area in mind? | As-tu une idée en tête ? |
| How do you want me to chop the onions, big or small? | Comment tu veux que je coupe les oignons, en gros ou en petit morceaux? |
| Do you have their number? | As-tu leur numéro ? |
| Hey, before you go... | Hé, avant que tu ne partes... |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | Oh, désolée! Tu n'aimes pas nettoyer les choses, je peux le faire. |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | On dirait que Pogo veut aller dans le jardin. |
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Ok, on dirait qu'il n'y a aucune agression entre eux. |