







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 | |
|---|---|
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | Malheureusement, je n'en ai aucune ! Où est la tienne ? |
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | Peut être que je suis d'humeur changeante le premier jour de mes règles. |
| Come on, don't cry, she is just a stupid girl! | Allez, ne pleure pas, c'est juste une fille stupide! |
| No, they live in Australia. | Non, ils habitent en Australie. |
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | Je ne pense pas, les trains quittent la gare toutes les 20 minutes à peu près. |
| Do you have a cigarette? | Tu as une cigarette ? |
| Hey, what happened? Is everything okay? | Hé, qu'est-ce qui ss'est passé? Tout va bien? |
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | Oh non ! Êtes-vous sûr qu'il n'y a rien d'autre de disponible ? |
| You don't know the story behind it. | Tu ne connais pas l'histoire que se cache derrière. |
| Okay, I found it... but it looks filthy! | Ok, je l'ai trouvé... mais elle a l'air sale! |
| Do you have any relatives in London? | Et tu as des proches à Londres? |
| Which appointment? Do you mean the house in Angel? | Quel rendez-vous? Tu veux dire la maison à Angel? |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | J'ai l'habitude de préparer des plats à base de viande, poison et volaille. |
| Yes, that's the one. | Oui c'est celui-là. |
| Mike! You can't use people's stuff without asking! | Mike! Tu ne peux pas utiliser les affaires des autres sans demander! |
| I was just joking, how are you? | Je plaisantais, comment allez-vous ? |
| That's right, we should never forget how irresponsible my housemates are. | C'est vrai, on devrait jamais oublier à quel point mes colocataires sont irresponsables. |
| I don't mind sitting outside as long as I'm not cold. | Ça me dérange pas de m'asseoir dehors, tant que je n'ai pas froid. |
| Hmm.. yes, I need mushrooms, stock, celery... | Hmm...oui, j'ai besoin de champignon, de bouillon, de céleri,... |
| Yeah, it's better not to fully fill the bath, it leaks downstairs. | Oui, c'est mieux de ne pas la remplir complètement, elle fuit à l'étage d'en dessous. |