







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 | |
|---|---|
| I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | Je suis désolé, je ne suis pas doué pour me souvenir des noms! |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Oui, tu veux dire, des tricycles? |
| No worries Mike, as I said, he only does it when he is stressed. | Pas de panique Mike, comme je l'ai dit, il ne le fait que lorsqu'il est extrêmement stressé. |
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | Tu peux demander ce que tu veux savoir. |
| How are you? | Et vous ? |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | Allez-vous souvent au Moulin à Vent ? |
| Sorry, I don't have much time, can I tell you the story when I'm back? | Désolé, je n'ai pas trop le temps, je peux continuer l'histoire quand je reviens? |
| I wish you all the best. | Je vous souhaite tout le meilleur. |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | Et ça, c'est ma petite amie, Cate. |
| Thanks for warning me now, that's very helpful! | Merci de me le dire maintenant, ça m'aide beaucoup! |
| No worries, it's free for you today. | Pas de problème, c'est gratuit pour toi aujourd'hui. |
| But he hisses occasionally, is it normal? | Mais il feule, c'est normal? |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | Oui, je veux voir la salle de bains... |
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | Ouais, on dirait que le printemps est le pire moment pour avoir des allergies! |
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | Tu veux que je mette le poulet dans la cocotte? |
| Ah, I can't eat the breast, it's too dry for me! | Ah, je ne peux pas manger de blanc, c'est bien trop sec pour moi! |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Vous ne ressemblez pas à un professeur d'anglais. |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Mais Tesco est plus grand, ils ont une plus grande diversité de produits. |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | Ma réunion commence à une heure. |
| You are welcome, here is the menu, madam. | De rien, voici le menu, madame. |