







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 | |
|---|---|
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | Cate, ça va? Tu as l'air un peu aggressive. |
| I don't want to talk about this issue in this house. | Je ne veux plus parler de ce problème dans cette maison. |
| Hello, I'm very sorry dear, I'm a bit late. | Salut, je suis désolée chéri, je suis un peu en retard. |
| I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | Je suis désolé, je ne suis pas doué pour me souvenir des noms! |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | Veux-tu que j'aille lui dire que tu es là? |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Eh bien, pas vraiment! Je n'aime pas cuisiner tant que ça. |
| I think that *hand caught on fire* thing is a joke! | Je pense que *la main qui prend feu* est une blague ! |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Tu as des frères ou des soeurs? |
| Yeah, he is keen on moving house... | Ouais, il est déterminé à quitter à la maison... |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | Dans ce cas, Pogo reste seul à la maison sans nourriture ni attention. |
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | Pendant la soirée d'hier, nous avons été ouverts jusqu'à très tard, et tu connais son excuse. |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | Toby! C'est Cate, c'est... mon amie, de Londres. |
| Yes, he definitely doesn't like changing places. | Oui, il n'aime pas changer d'endroit. |
| I've got a meeting with some people. | Je dois voir des gens. |
| 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 ? |
| Hello, I'm sorry, but there is no chardonnay left, Cate. | Bonjour, je suis désolé mais il ne reste plus de Chardonnay, Cate. |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | Elle est moitié japonaise, moitié australienne. |
| Is that right? | C'est cela ? |
| It's on the Northern line, the same one we use here. | C'est sur la Northern line, la même qu'on utilise ici. |
| Do you live around here? | Vivez-vous prêt d'ici ? |