







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'm sure it's where it always is. | Je suis sûr qu'elle est à sa place. |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | Minute, je me souviens de toi disant que tu ne tuais jamais d'animaux ! |
| Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | Ou pire, parfois, ils font la fête à la maison! |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Ce n'est pas pour moi, c'est pour le riz chéri! |
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | Oui, il va très bien après s'être reposé pendant un certain temps. |
| Yes, that's the one. | Oui c'est celui-là. |
| I don't think she wants to talk or solve anything! | Je ne penses pas qu'elle voudra résoudre quoi que ce soit! |
| My landlords are a gay couple. | Les propriétaires sont un couple gay. |
| But I don't know him well. | Mais je ne le connais pas très bien. |
| Is it the one with the blue tongue? | Est-ce celui avec la langue bleue ? |
| What does Diego do? | Et que fait Diégo? |
| Yeah, and the market is good, is Camden Lock in zone-2 or 3? | Ouais, et le marché est bon, Carmen Lock est-il en zone 2 ou 3 ? |
| Umm, you can tell them it's our wedding anniversary. | Heu, tu pourrais leur dire que c'est notre anniversaire de mariage. |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | Ouais, elle est née en Australie, mais sa mère est japonaise. |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | Oui, Bear mange un chat et demi par jour pour son petit déjeuner. |
| Ta-ta here it is... | Ta-ta elle est là... |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | Pogo est mon petit chat, y'a-t-il un problème? |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Vous ne ressemblez pas à un professeur d'anglais. |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | J'ai un rendez-vous au Ministère de l'Intérieur pour l'extension de mon visa? |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 degrés est le maximum! |