







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 | |
|---|---|
| My sisters live nearby, they help her sometimes. | Mes sœurs habitent pas loin, elles l'aident de temps en temps. |
| Okay, what temperature do you want me to set it at? | Ok, tu veux que je le mette à quelle témpérature? |
| How do you get to Brighton? | Comment allez-vous à Brighton ? |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | Merci, j'ai 26 ans. |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | Bien sûr ! Pourquoi c'est si important? |
| It's the second one from the top. | C'est le deuxième en partant du haut. |
| How much do you pay for your room? | Combien tu payes ton loyer pour ta chambre? |
| Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | Oui monsieur, vous pouvez vous asseoir à cette table. |
| And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | C'est difficile à croire mais il est propre. |
| I go out sometimes with the girls from school. | Je sors parfois avec les filles de l'école. |
| Well, one of them is 2,800, but bills are not included... | Bien, l'un d'eux est de 2800 mais les factures ne sont pas incluses... |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Te sens-tu un peu mieux maintenant? |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Bonjour madame, êtes vous toujours en ligne ? |
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | Malheureusement, je n'en ai aucune ! Où est la tienne ? |
| Can I get you some more drinks? | Voulez-vous que je rafraîchisse vos boissons tout d'abord monsieur? |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | Tu as des frères et des soeurs? |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | C'est pas très loin de là... Il y a une infime différence! |
| Yes, of course I remember. | Oui, bien sûr que je me souviens. |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | L' Australie est très stricte avec le respect des règles. |
| Erm, we don't have any, but there is someone else's bread. | Euh, non, mais il y du pain qui appartient à quelqu'un d'autre. |