







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 | |
|---|---|
| I live very close by. | Je vis très proche d'ici. |
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | Non, je ne mens pas! Je mens jamais. |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | Désolé Mme.Jones, il y a un malentendu... |
| That's why they're 50% off. | C'est pourquoi ils ont 50% de réduction. |
| Yes, I have got two sisters. | Oui, j'ai deux soeurs. |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | Non, on égoutte nos pâtes avec une râpe. |
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | Regarde, tu peux mieux admirer le coucher de soleil d'ici. |
| I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | Je suis désolé, je ne suis pas doué pour me souvenir des noms! |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mon dieu ! il est presque 12 heures. |
| I am, I have to be there at 12:30. | Si, je dois y être pour 12h30. |
| What do you think, dear, do you like it, too? | Qu'est-ce que que tu en penses chéri, tu l'aimes bien aussi? |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | Heu... Ouais... Bien sûr ! C'est notre premier anniversaire ! |
| That's why you have a headache now! | C'est pour ça que tu as mal à la tête! |
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | Bien sûr, il y a quatre filles, toutes étudiantes d'Allemagne. |
| That's very interesting! | C’est très intéressant ! |
| I've finally completed it and tomorrow is the big day! | Je l'ai finalement terminé et demain est un grand jour ! |
| Do you like them with or without the skin on? | Tu les veux avec ou sans la peau? |
| 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, Dick is here, dear, he is the landlord... | Umm, c'est Dick ma chérie, le propriétaire... |
| Well, I hope he doesn't keep on pooping all around the house! | Bien, j'espère qu'il ne fera pas caca partout dans la maison! |