







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Salut, pardonne-moi, je me suis un peu en retard. |
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Oui, ça a l'air plus logique dans ce cas là. |
| Yes, I still don't do it. | Oui, je ne le fais toujours pas. |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Veuillez m'excuser, j'ai besoin d'aller aux toilettes. |
| It's in Islington, zone-1, it's the best place for me so far. | C'est à Islington, en zone 1, c'est le meilleur endroit pour moi pour l'instant. |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | Il y en a plein d'autres, mais je pense que gumtree.com est le meilleur. |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | J'ai une soeur, elle a dix-neuf ans. |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | Oui, je veux voir la salle de bains... |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Je n'ai que 3 heures de cours aujourd'hui. |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Exactement, donc penses-tu que les escargots sont des insectes ou non ? |
| Why don't we pay 100 more each, and get a house in Mayfair? | Pourquoi payerions-nous pas 100 de plus chacun et avoir une maison à Mayfair ? |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Il a un an encore avant qu'il ne passe sa date de péremption. |
| He hasn't realised that we are at a vet yet. | Il n'a pas encore compris que nous étions chez le vétérinaire. |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Te sens-tu un peu mieux maintenant? |
| The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | La recette ne vient pas d'internet, mais d'un livre de Jamie Oliver. |
| Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | Salut chérie, comment ça va, t'as besoin d'aide ? |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh, vraiment ? Ce n'est pas bien. |
| What does Diego do? | Et que fait Diégo? |
| He's a... Sorry Mike, what do you do? | Il est... désolé Mike, que faites-vous ? |
| Yeah, he is keen on moving house... | Ouais, il est déterminé à quitter à la maison... |