







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 | |
|---|---|
| They are both okay for me. | Tous les deux me vont. |
| I guess mine is older than yours! | Je pense que le mien est plus vieux que le tiens ! |
| That's a good choice, they do great calamari here, too. | Il s'agit d'un bon choix, ils font du bon calamar ici aussi. |
| You know, I usually have some early morning lessons. | Tu sais j'ai l'habitude de suivre des cours tôt le matin. |
| I go out sometimes with the girls from school. | Je sors parfois avec les filles de l'école. |
| They don't usually work after ten o'clock. | Ils ne travaillent généralement pas après dix heures. |
| Hm, okay... I think I got it, is it like Pinocchio? | Ha, okay... Je pense que j'ai compris, c'est comme Pinocchio ? |
| How much garlic do you want? | Quelle quantité d'ail veux-tu ? |
| It's the second one from the top. | C'est le deuxième en partant du haut. |
| Do you know how to use them? | Tu sais comment les utiliser? |
| Hello, I'm very sorry dear, I'm a bit late. | Salut, je suis désolée chéri, je suis un peu en retard. |
| How old are you? | Quel âge avez-vous ? |
| There is a little market near the school. | Il y a une petite boutique à côté de l'école. |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Ouais, c'est normal, il feule même quand j'achète de nouvelles chaussettes! |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | Tu sais, certaines personnes n'aiment pas poster leurs publicités sur Internet. |
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | C'est génial, je crois que j'adore cette maison! |
| I'm sure it's where it always is. | Je suis sûr qu'elle est à sa place. |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | Dans ce cas, Pogo reste seul à la maison sans nourriture ni attention. |
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | Ma barbe me rend plus vieux, je pense. |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | Non, je ne sais pas ce qu'il y a dans ton frigo. |