







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 | |
|---|---|
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Peut-être qu'elle est vraiment allergique aux chats, on ne le sait pas. |
| Is it hay fever? I've got some pills for it! | C'est le rhume des foins? J'ai quelques pilules pour soigner ça! |
| Do you want to bet on it? | Tu veux parier ? |
| You don't know the story behind it. | Tu ne connais pas l'histoire que se cache derrière. |
| Oh, sorry, I also need a grater for the cheese. | Oh, désolée, j'ai aussi besoin d'un râpe pour le fromage. |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Exactement, donc penses-tu que les escargots sont des insectes ou non ? |
| But he hisses occasionally, is it normal? | Mais il feule, c'est normal? |
| I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | Je suis désolé mais c'est rien d'exceptionnel. |
| 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... |
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | Ouais, c'est un grand pays, c'est plus un contient. |
| Oh, I think I know them. | Oh, je crois que je sais ce que c'est. |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Je pense que nous devons tous partir bientôt. |
| How many people live in this house? | Combien de personnes vivent ici? |
| 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. |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Est-ce que votre chien est un Chow Chow ? |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | Il est difficile de trouver tous les produits manuellement dans les caisses automatiques |
| No, they live in Australia. | Non, ils habitent en Australie. |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Quel type de musique aimes-tu le plus ? |
| But I think that's only for older women. | Mais je pense que ce n'est que pour les femmes plus âgées. |
| Do you like them with or without the skin on? | Tu les veux avec ou sans la peau? |