







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 | |
|---|---|
| Set times always stress me out. | Les temps prédéfinis me stressent toujours. |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Très bien! J'espère qu'il ne le fait pas tout le temps! |
| Um, I don't feel like eating anything but fish today. | Et bien, je sens que je ne mangerai rien à part du poisson aujourd'hui. |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | Oui, je veux voir la salle de bains... |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | J'ai encore deux cours, je finis à trois heures trente. |
| I'm happy to hear we have similar music taste! | Je suis content d'entendre que nous avons des goûts musicaux similaires ! |
| Okay, who sings it? | Okay, qui les chante ? |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | Parfois, il ne reconnaît même pas ma mère. |
| Well, it's about a kid, I mean a robot. | Bien, c'est à propos d'un enfant, je veux dire robot. |
| Oh f*ck off, I've got to go now... | Oh vas te faire f*utre, je dois partir... |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | Ouais, mais la chambre est carrée et il n'y a que quatre meubles principaux dedans. |
| No, because she is mental and can harm Pogo or Bear! | Non, parce qu'elle est folle et qu'elle peut faire du mal à Pogo ou Bear ! |
| I think the price is very cheap. | Je pense que le prix est vraiment bas. |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | C'est tellement triste, quel âge ont tes parents? |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 degrés est le maximum! |
| Why don't we pay 100 more each, and get a house in Mayfair? | Pourquoi payerions-nous pas 100 de plus chacun et avoir une maison à Mayfair ? |
| Is it because it's too violent? | Est-ce parce que c'est trop violent ? |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Morrison n'est-il pas plus près? |
| It's almost 09:30. | Il est presque 09:30. |
| Sh*t! I can't believe it's already 10:30! | Merde ! Il est déjà 22:30 ! |