







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 | |
|---|---|
| Watch out for the 3rd step, it's not very stable. | Faites attention à la 3ème marche, elle n'est pas très stable. |
| I wake up and make my bed, then tidy my room. | Je me réveille, je vais mon lit et je range ma chambre. |
| Hello mate, where are you? | Salut gars, t'es où? |
| I haven't seen her, either, and I don't really want to... | Je ne l'ai pas revue moi non plus, et je n'en ai pas vraiment envie... |
| No, because she is mental and can harm Pogo or Bear! | Non, parce qu'elle est folle et qu'elle peut faire du mal à Pogo ou Bear ! |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | En ce moment, je suis plutôt remix des années 60 et 70. |
| Do you want me to call them? | Tu veux que je les appelle ? |
| It's individually, the small ones are 30p, big ones 50p. | C'est individuellement, les petits coûtent 30p et les grand coûtent 50p. |
| Do you remember me? | Vous vous souvenez de moi ? |
| I don't want you to spend a fortune. | Je n'ai pas envie que tu dépenses une fortune. |
| How do you get to Brighton? | Comment allez-vous à Brighton ? |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | Ce n'est pas grave, je pense qu'elles sont à la même distance. |
| To me, wasting it is weirder! | Pour moi, gaspiller c'est plus bizarre ! |
| As far as I know, Chows are not good with other animals. | D'aussi longtemps que je me souvienne les chow-chows ne supportent pas les autres animaux. |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Bonjour madame, êtes vous toujours en ligne ? |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Je pense que nous devons tous partir bientôt. |
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Oui, ça a l'air plus logique dans ce cas là. |
| Oh, your girlfriend's cat... Does she live here with you? | Oh, le chat de ta petite amie... Elle habite ici aussi? |
| Hmm.. yes, we get on really well. | Hum... Oui, nous nous entendons bien. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not a big problem for him. | Je ne savais, j'espère que c'est pas un gros problème pour lui. |