







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 | |
|---|---|
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | Et il semble avoir 3 ans maintenant. |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | Ma chérie bien-aimée me dit toujours à quel point vos rouleaux de printemps sont bons. |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | Bonjour, est-ce que votre chat va bien ? |
| I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | J'ai besoin de persil, mais ils ne semblent pas frais. |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | Oui, il y en a aussi. |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | Peux-tu me montrer quels habits je dois déplacer ? |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | Ce genre de personnes irresponsables m'énervent! |
| Oh sorry, unfortunately, that one is reserved. | Oh, je m'en vois navrée, celle-ci est réservée. |
| Do you have their number? | As-tu leur numéro ? |
| How much are they supposed to pay? | Combien doivent-ils payer? |
| He wouldn't run away, he just wants to check what's outside. | Il ne s'enfuirait pas, il veut juste voir ce qu'il y a dehors. |
| 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. |
| The rice section is over there. | Le rayon des riz est ici. |
| Do you like them with or without the skin on? | Tu les veux avec ou sans la peau? |
| Do you want me to slice the mushrooms for you? | Tu veux que je coupe les champignons pour toi? |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Salut Mike, pas vraiment, et toi? |
| I guess time doesn't pass for you while I'm away. | J'imagine que le temps ne s'écoule plus lorsque je ne suis pas là. |
| I want him to check the heaters in the rooms while he is here! | Je voulais qu'il jette un oeil aux radiateurs de la pièce pendant qu'on y est! |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | Hum... demain est un jour férié. |
| No, actually, he is properly toilet trained. | Non, à vrai dire, il est très propre. |