







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 | |
|---|---|
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | A l'étage, il y a Diégo et un couple Britannique à côté. |
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | Tu peux demander ce que tu veux savoir. |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Désolé, j'ai oublié de te le dire, tu dois ouvrir le robinet très délicatement. |
| Umm, you can tell them it's our wedding anniversary. | Heu, tu pourrais leur dire que c'est notre anniversaire de mariage. |
| You know, she is normally an extremely quiet and calm person. | Tu sais, c'est une personne très silencieuse et très calme d'habitude. |
| Unfortunately, she is a teenager, she is 19! | Malheureusement, elle est une adolescente, elle a 19 ans ! |
| Thank god there is nothing to worry about. | Merci, tout va bien. |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | J'ai faim, mais c'est mieux d'avoir quelque chose quand nous verrons les garçons. |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mon dieu ! il est presque 12 heures. |
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | Avec des plaques au gaz, quelqu'un risque de les oublier, c'est trop dangeureux! |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | Je suis sur la route pour Brighton, je suis presque arrivé! |
| Hmm, I like pop, rock, funk. | Heu, j'aime la pop, le rock et le funk. |
| Sorry to ask, but are you on your period or something? | Désolé de te demander, mais t'as tes règles ou quoi? |
| Okay, what temperature do you want me to set it at? | Ok, tu veux que je le mette à quelle témpérature? |
| I can't imagine myself being on a plane for that long! | Je n'arrive pas à m'imaginer dans un avion aussi longtemps! |
| Thanks, but I don't have time to stay. | Merci, mais je n'ai pas le temps de rester. |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Bien sûr ! C'est mon pub préféré. |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | Comment ose-t-il... Il est tellement stupide!!! |
| Are you going to say sorry for saying I am stupid then? | Vas-tu t'excuser pour avoir dit que j'étais stupide, donc ? |
| Is it the one with the blue tongue? | Est-ce celui avec la langue bleue ? |