







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Ouais, c'est normal, il feule même quand j'achète de nouvelles chaussettes! |
| Yeah, I think it's a bit early to knock on someone's door! | Oui, il est un peu tôt pour toquer chez quelqu'un! |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | Ce genre de personnes irresponsables m'énervent! |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | J'ai un rendez-vous au Ministère de l'Intérieur pour l'extension de mon visa? |
| It's usually at the top right of your screen. | C'est habituellement en haut à gauche de votre écran. |
| Thanks for warning me now, that's very helpful! | Merci de me le dire maintenant, ça m'aide beaucoup! |
| Diego, do you want me to get you anything to eat? | Diego, tu veux que je te rapporte quelque chose à manger ? |
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | Bien sûr, 2 tomates sont suffisantes je crois. |
| No she is a very cute, easygoing and friendly girl. | Non, elle est vraiment mignonne, ouverte et amicale comme fille. |
| I think we need to put some of your clothes away. | Je pense qu'on devrait se débarrasser de quelques uns de tes habits. |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | Un bouquet de semble-t-il suffisant ? |
| Umm, you can tell them it's our wedding anniversary. | Heu, tu pourrais leur dire que c'est notre anniversaire de mariage. |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | Hum... demain est un jour férié. |
| 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! |
| Well, instead of chicken you can try the duck, it's yummy! | Bien, à la place du poulet tu pourrais essayer le canard, c'est bon ! |
| I'm an English teacher. | Je suis professeur d'anglais. |
| I don't want to talk about this issue in this house. | Je ne veux plus parler de ce problème dans cette maison. |
| Hello, what kind of dog do you have, Mike? | Bonjour, quel race de chien avez-vous ? |
| Depends on where you look. | Ça dépend où tu regardes. |
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | C'est génial, je crois que j'adore cette maison! |