







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 | |
|---|---|
| No, no, nothing is wrong, no need to worry, we are all fine... | Non, non, il n'y a rien de grave, pas d'inquiétudes, tout va bien... |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | Hum... Alors que tes mains sont encore sales... |
| Is that a crack in the bath? | C'est une fissure dans la baignoire? |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | Oui, je suis là entrain d'attendre de bonnes nouvelles. |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Et bien, je n'y arrive pas, je pense que ça fait bien plus que 150 ans. |
| I live just opposite the pub. | Je vis en face du pub. |
| My laptop is in it. | Mon ordinateur est dedans. |
| Hmm.. yes, I need mushrooms, stock, celery... | Hmm...oui, j'ai besoin de champignon, de bouillon, de céleri,... |
| Yeah, it's a very popular restaurant. | Ouais, c'est un restaurant très populaire. |
| Yes, he definitely doesn't like changing places. | Oui, il n'aime pas changer d'endroit. |
| First of all, it's so sad to see them in pain. | Tout d'abord, c'est vraiment triste ce voir que votre animal souffre. |
| So, I guess you are from Australia. | Donc, tu viens d'Australie si je ne m'abuse. |
| I don't like their chardonnay. | Je n'aime pas leur Chardonnay. |
| Why? What's wrong? | Pourquoi, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ? |
| Can I get you some more drinks? | Voulez-vous que je rafraîchisse vos boissons tout d'abord monsieur? |
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | Non, je ne mens pas! Je mens jamais. |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | Bien vu, je suis sûr qu'ils ne paient pas autant! |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Tu sais que demain est mon dernier jour. |
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | Bien sûr, 2 tomates sont suffisantes je crois. |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Enfin, voici Cate et ses collègues de travail. |