







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 | |
|---|---|
| Why did you ask, do you want me to boil it? | Pourquoi tu demandes, tu veux que je le fasse bouillir? |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | Bien sûr, voici la salle de bains. |
| No, I don't have one! | Non, j'en ai pas! |
| Yes, he definitely doesn't like changing places. | Oui, il n'aime pas changer d'endroit. |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Du bacon, des oeufs et quelques olives me suffisent. |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Exactement, donc penses-tu que les escargots sont des insectes ou non ? |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Tu sais que demain est mon dernier jour. |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Je suis désolé de vous dire qu'aucun n'animal n'est autorisé dans la maison! |
| You are very funny mate. | T'es très drôle gars. |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | Toby! C'est Cate, c'est... mon amie, de Londres. |
| I like girls' nights out. | J'aime les soirées entre filles. |
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | Pu**in, c'est qui à cette heure? |
| No, no, nothing is wrong, no need to worry, we are all fine... | Non, non, il n'y a rien de grave, pas d'inquiétudes, tout va bien... |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | 50% de 135 c'est 67.50... Ça fait 202.50 au total. |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Mais Tesco est plus grand, ils ont une plus grande diversité de produits. |
| So it comes to 2,800 a month! | Donc cela revient à 2800 par mois ! |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Salut Mike, pas vraiment, et toi? |
| That's where Diego works, too! | C'est là où travaille Diégo aussi! |
| It's on the Northern line, the same one we use here. | C'est sur la Northern line, la même qu'on utilise ici. |
| Okay, how much salt do you want me to add? | Ok, combien de sel veux-tu que je mette? |