







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's usually at the top right of your screen. | C'est habituellement en haut à gauche de votre écran. |
| 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. |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Eh bien, pas vraiment! Je n'aime pas cuisiner tant que ça. |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | Je suis sur la route pour Brighton, je suis presque arrivé! |
| What's the time, are we early? | Quelle heure est-il, on est en avance? |
| No, they live in Australia. | Non, ils habitent en Australie. |
| Is that what you want to do? | Est-ce ce que tu veux faire ? |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | Hum... demain est un jour férié. |
| By the way, my name's Mike, what's yours? | Au fait, je m'appelle Mike, et vous ? |
| It's like, the bus you are waiting for never comes. | C'est comme quand le bus que vous attendez n'arrive jamais. |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | Désolé Mme.Jones, il y a un malentendu... |
| Hmm... actually, we have to boil it. | Hum... on doit le faire bouillir en fait. |
| How old do I look? | Quel âge pensez-vous que j'ai ? |
| Here you go sir, this is your receipt and your £20 cashback. | Voici monsieur, ceci est votre reçu et ceci est votre monnaie de 20 livres. |
| The room is spacious and sunny and the bed looks comfortable! | La chambre est spacieuse et le lit a l'air confortable! |
| Um.. it could be blue, I don't really remember. | Alors... Il pourrait être bleu, mais je ne m'en souviens pas très bien. |
| Calm down dear, I don't think he realises what he says. | Calme toi chéri, je ne pense pas qu'il se rend compte de ce qu'il dit. |
| It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | C'est difficile à croire mais on a une cocotte minute à la maison. |
| Mike, teriyaki is Japanese, we are at a Chinese restaurant. | Mike, le teriyaki c'est japonais, nous sommes dans un restaurant Chinois. |
| Good boy, Beary! See, he is just a little friend. | Bon garçon Beary! C'est juste ta petite amie. |