







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Oui, c'est une bonne idée! |
| I think so, at least there is no aggression. | Je pense, au moins il n'y a pas d'agression. |
| So it comes to 2,800 a month! | Donc cela revient à 2800 par mois ! |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Bien, c'est conclu ! Tu as 3 jours pour réfléchir à partir de maintenant ! |
| Look at the shelf, the price tag says £2.20 a kilo. | Regarde sur l'étagère, le prix indique 2.20 livres le kilo. |
| Are you serious? | Vous êtes sérieuse ? |
| But which button? It doesn't show which controls which! | Mais quel bouton? On ne sait pas lequel contrôle quoi! |
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Ok, on dirait qu'il n'y a aucune agression entre eux. |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | Je ne sais pas vraiment et vous ? |
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | Exactement, l'un d'entre eux nous demande 3500 et l'autre 3000... |
| I've found 2, too, there aren't many options in Camden Lock. | J'en ai trouvé 2 également, il n'y a pas beaucoup d'options à Camden Lock. |
| Yeah, I've got it! | Ouais, je l'ai! |
| Do you like train rides, too? | Aimez-vous les voyages en train aussi ? |
| Ah, I'm very sorry, but we're fully booked tonight! | Ah, je suis désolée, nous sommes compets ce soir ! |
| I'm really sorry, what kind of sickness is it? | Je suis vraiment désolé, il s'agit de quel type de maladie? |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Ce n'est pas pour moi, c'est pour le riz chéri! |
| Umm, Dick is here, dear, he is the landlord... | Umm, c'est Dick ma chérie, le propriétaire... |
| It's got some water marks on it! | Il a des tâches d'eau! |
| How is your mum, does she have any health problems? | Comment va ta mère, a-t-elle des problèmes de santé? |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | C'est bien... J'espère que ce n'est pas une adolescente ! Quel âge a-t-elle ? |