







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 | |
|---|---|
| I guess so, but I want to finish seeing all the houses today. | J'ai l'impression, mais je veux finir de visiter toutes les maisons aujourd'hui. |
| Well, instead of chicken you can try the duck, it's yummy! | Bien, à la place du poulet tu pourrais essayer le canard, c'est bon ! |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | Est-ce que t'as bien vérifié, on en a aucun? |
| 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. |
| And the buses always arrive on time. | Et les bus arrivent toujours à l'heure. |
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | Oui, c'est peu commun, mais c'est ce qu'ils suggèrent dans la recette. |
| There is also some cheese, but it's a bit mouldy. | Il y a aussi du fromage mais il est un peu moisi. |
| Not long, my lessons start at 12:30. | Pas longtemps, mes cours commencent à 12h30. |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | Parfois, il ne reconnaît même pas ma mère. |
| Hm, okay... I think I got it, is it like Pinocchio? | Ha, okay... Je pense que j'ai compris, c'est comme Pinocchio ? |
| I really don't know, but I believe it's more than 100 years old. | Je ne sais vraiment pas, mais je crois qu'elle a plus de 100 ans. |
| Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | Oui monsieur, vous pouvez vous asseoir à cette table. |
| No, I'm a real estate agent. | Non, je suis un agent immobilier. |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | Hé, quelle est la station la plus proche de China Town ? |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Tu veux que le plateau soit au milieu? |
| Okay, I don't like cooking, but I like tasting food. | Ok, je n'aime pas cuisiner mais j'aime goûter la nouriture. |
| Yes, that's okay, we are just about to leave. | Oui, nous allions partir. |
| How is there four of us? | En quoi il y a-t-il quatre d'entre nous ? |
| How long does the flight usually take? | Et ils durent combien de temps en général? |
| Do you want me to call them? | Tu veux que je les appelle ? |