







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 | |
|---|---|
| Isn't that funny? | C'est drôle, n'est-ce pas ? |
| Your perfectly shaped mushrooms are ready! | Tes champignons perfaitement découpés sont prêts! |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | C'est mon petit ami, Mike. |
| Thanks for offering me that, dear. | Merci de me le proposer chéri. |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | Je suis d'accord, les longs vols ne sont pas ma tasse de thé. |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | Eh bien, je suis habituée aux mauvais nouvelles aujourd'hui, qu'y a-t-il? |
| No, this one is the shop's own brand, that's why it's not expensive. | Non, celui-ci est celui de la marque du magasin, c'est pourquoi il n'est pas si cher. |
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | Non, mais ça serait ce que j'aimerais avoir... |
| We call it a sixth sense! | On appelle ça un sixième sens ! |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | Je ne veux plus rester dans cette maison! |
| But before we go, can you call them and ask if they are okay with pets? | Mais d'abord, tu peux les appeler pour voir s'ils sont d'accord pour les animaux? |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Je ne pense pas que ce soit normal, et toi? |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | Excepté les moustiques, parce qu'ils ruinent mon sommeil. |
| The packets have 2 pieces in them. | Les paquets ont 2 pièces. |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Quel type de musique aimes-tu le plus ? |
| It's too fruity. | Il est trop fruité. |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | Il y en a plein d'autres, mais je pense que gumtree.com est le meilleur. |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | On n'a qu'à calculer, je paye 135 par semaine pour une personne... |
| Is there a knife? | Il y a un couteau? |
| I'm happy to hear we have similar music taste! | Je suis content d'entendre que nous avons des goûts musicaux similaires ! |