







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 difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | Il est difficile de trouver tous les produits manuellement dans les caisses automatiques |
| The other one is 3,000, but includes all bills. | L'autre est à 3000, mais cela inclut les factures. |
| That's why they're 50% off. | C'est pourquoi ils ont 50% de réduction. |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | Un bouquet de semble-t-il suffisant ? |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Est-ce que votre chien est un Chow Chow ? |
| Oh hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | Oh bonjour... J'ai oublié de le dire, il s'agit également d'un événement très spécial... |
| I don't know, maximum 33? | Je ne sais pas, 33 ans maximum ? |
| Oh look at this big boy, he gets bigger everytime I see him! | Oh regarde moi ce toutou, il est toujours plus grand que la dernière fois ! |
| I would like to... But I have other things to do... | J'aimerais bien également... Mais j'ai d'autres choses à faire... |
| Does the kid think he is a robot or the robot think it's a kid? | L'enfant pense qu'il est un robot ou le robot pense qu'il est un enfant ? |
| Is that right? | C'est cela ? |
| No, no, nothing is wrong, no need to worry, we are all fine... | Non, non, il n'y a rien de grave, pas d'inquiétudes, tout va bien... |
| Oh yeah, it's our girls' night out tonight. | Oh oui, c'est notre soirées entre filles ce soir ? |
| Let me check... when is best for you? | Laissez-moi vérifier... Quand est-ce le meilleur pour vous ? |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | J'aime les musique de Jamiroquai, mais pas toutes d'entre elles. |
| What about that table? It looks better. | Et cette table ? Elle me semble meilleure. |
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Oui, ça a l'air plus logique dans ce cas là. |
| How are you? | Et vous ? |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | Hum... Alors que tes mains sont encore sales... |
| You need to change planes at some point on the way. | On a besoin de changer d'avion à un moment donné. |