







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 | |
|---|---|
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | On n'a qu'à calculer, je paye 135 par semaine pour une personne... |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | Ça craint, tu as un rhume? |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | C'est comme si le mal était caché en eux! |
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | Tu ne penses pas que deux fourchettes soient assez? |
| What kind of trick is that? | Quelle sorte de ruse est-ce ? |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | Merci, à Samedi 13h alors. |
| What line is it on? | Quelle ligne il y a-t-il dessus ? |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | Ouais, je me demande si on partage les mêmes goûts en matière de films ! |
| Do you remember me? | Vous vous souvenez de moi ? |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | L' Australie est très stricte avec le respect des règles. |
| I need to wake him up now! | Je dois le réveiller maintenant! |
| How is your cat? | Comment va votre chat ? |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | Je n'arrive pas à croire que tu n'aies toujours pas compris ! |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | Je vais lui demander de sortir Bear, pour qu'on puisse prendre le petit déjeuner. |
| It's very difficult to talk to you on the phone right now. | C'est vraiment difficile de te parler en ce moment. |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | Non, j'ai de mauvaises allergies. |
| Ah, I'm very sorry, but we're fully booked tonight! | Ah, je suis désolée, nous sommes compets ce soir ! |
| We call it a sixth sense! | On appelle ça un sixième sens ! |
| Well this is how it is... do you want to see upstairs? | Eh bien, c'est comme ça... vous voulez voir l'étage? |
| But before we go, can you call them and ask if they are okay with pets? | Mais d'abord, tu peux les appeler pour voir s'ils sont d'accord pour les animaux? |