







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 | |
|---|---|
| Of course, oh, there is a half-eaten pizza in the oven. | Bien sûr, il y a une pizza a moitié mangée dedans. |
| Yeah, I'll have a beer, I guess you want wine, Cate? | Ouais, je vous prendrais bien une bière, je suppose que tu veux du vin, Cate ? |
| I'm checking again, there are only two forks and a teaspoon! | Je vais revérifier, il n'y a que deux fourchettes et un cuillère à café! |
| Hey, we are back. | Salut, nous sommes de retour. |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | Est-ce qu'on a du pain à toaster? |
| It's £135 per week! | 135£ par semaine! |
| We call it a sixth sense! | On appelle ça un sixième sens ! |
| He must be sleeping, he usually works at night, too. | Il doit être en train de dormir, il travaille souvent la nuit aussi. |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | Dans la recette, il est dit 600g. |
| Yes, I have got two sisters. | Oui, j'ai deux soeurs. |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Bonjour, êtes-vous Cate? |
| Hello, I'm sorry, but there is no chardonnay left, Cate. | Bonjour, je suis désolé mais il ne reste plus de Chardonnay, Cate. |
| Diego, do you want me to get you anything to eat? | Diego, tu veux que je te rapporte quelque chose à manger ? |
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | Oui, il va très bien après s'être reposé pendant un certain temps. |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | Non, j'ai de mauvaises allergies. |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Tu dois appuyer sur le bouton et le tourner vers la droite. |
| Oh, okay, is there a problem with your house? | Ah, okay, il y a un problème avec votre maison? |
| Can you please not forget to take some poo bags with you! | N'oublie pas de prendre des sacs à crotte avec toi! |
| Also, one of my friends works there. | De plus, un de mes amis travaille ici. |
| Yeah, I think it's a bit early to knock on someone's door! | Oui, il est un peu tôt pour toquer chez quelqu'un! |