







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 guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | Salut les gars, c'est possible de faire moins de bruit? |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | Et ça, c'est ma petite amie, Cate. |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Je peux cuisiner, bien sûr, mais seulement quand j'en ai envie. |
| Yeah, it's open here already... | Ouais, c'est déjà ouvert ici... |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | Hum... Alors que tes mains sont encore sales... |
| That's nice, what do you usually cook? | C'est bien, qu'est-ce que tu cuisines habituellement? |
| Yes, my number is 0773***0282. | Oui, mon numéro est 0773***0282. |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mon dieu ! il est presque 12 heures. |
| What's your maximum monthly budget for the rent? | Quel est ton budget mensuel maximum pour la location? |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | Ouais, elle est née en Australie, mais sa mère est japonaise. |
| Do you think electric stoves are better? | Tu penses que les plaques électriques sont mieux? |
| I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | Je ne pense pas qu'il soit possible de trouver plus de configurations. |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | Hum... demain est un jour férié. |
| That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | C'est spécifique. Je ne pense pas qu'on ait un mortier et un pilon. |
| Hey Mike, you look so worried! | Salut Mike, tu sembles si inquiet ! |
| Are you serious? | Vous êtes sérieuse ? |
| Depends on where you look. | Ça dépend où tu regardes. |
| I'm sorry for not showing up at your opening. | Je suis désolé de ne pas avoir été là à l'inauguration. |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | Je vais lui demander de sortir Bear, pour qu'on puisse prendre le petit déjeuner. |
| Is it because of the cost, or another reason? | Est-ce que c'est à cause du prix, ou est-ce une autre raison? |