







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's all your fault! I feel so embarrassed now... | C'est entièrement de ta faute ! Je me sens tellement embarrassée maintenant... |
| You need to change planes at some point on the way. | On a besoin de changer d'avion à un moment donné. |
| You are welcome, here is the menu, madam. | De rien, voici le menu, madame. |
| Why? What's wrong? | Pourquoi, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ? |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | C'est pas ouf mais c'est assez important que tu me le dises. |
| Oh, sorry, I didn't know I wasn't allowed to order what I want! | Oh, pardon, je ne savais pas que je n'étais pas autorisé à commander ce que je veux ! |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | Oui, c'était assez facile en fait, j'habite pas loin. |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | C'est le dernier et malheureusement l'emballage est trouée. |
| 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. |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | Veux-tu que j'aille lui dire que tu es là? |
| I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | J'espère que ce n'est pas la bonne adresse! Elle a l'air moche. |
| What do you want me to do with them? | Tu veux que je fasse quoi avec? |
| Then you can decide if I'm a good cook or not! | Tu pourras voir si je suis un bon cuisinier ou pas! |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 degrés devraient aller. |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | Et ça, c'est ma petite amie, Cate. |
| Don't worry, we don't do it everyday. | Ne t'en fais pas, nous ne le faisons pas tous les jours. |
| Are you serious? | Vous êtes sérieuse ? |
| Really? Sade is one of my favourites, too. | Vraiment ? Sade est l'un de mes groupes favoris aussi. |
| Welcome to the Diamond Duck, do you have a reservation, sir? | Bienvenue au Diamond Duck , avez-vous une réservation, monsieur ? |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | En ce moment, je suis plutôt remix des années 60 et 70. |