







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes I did, why, isn't it normal? | Si, n'est-ce pas normal? |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | J'ai l'habitude de préparer des plats à base de viande, poison et volaille. |
| Yes, that's a good idea. | Oui, c'est une bonne idée. |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Je peux l'amener ici avec moi quand je reviens pour le petit déjeuner. |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | Minute, je me souviens de toi disant que tu ne tuais jamais d'animaux ! |
| Hey, we are back. | Salut, nous sommes de retour. |
| Where is my f*cking tenner? | Où sont mes p*tains de dix balles? |
| Oh, come on dear, I was just joking, you know that... | Oh, allez chéri, je rigolais, tu le sais bien... |
| 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? |
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Ok, on dirait qu'il n'y a aucune agression entre eux. |
| Do you like red or white onions? | Tu préfères les oignons rouges ou blancs? |
| I hope he gets well soon. | J'espère qu'il récupérera rapidement. |
| Are they older or younger? | Sont-elles plus ou moins jeunes que toi? |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | Est-ce qu'on a du pain à toaster? |
| I hope it’s not serious. | J'espère que ce n'est pas sérieux. |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Rejoignons-nous à la station de train ou voulez-vous que je vienne vous chercher de chez vous ? |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | C'est le dernier et malheureusement l'emballage est trouée. |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Hum... Peut-être 30 ans ? |
| Let me check, we only need butter. | Laisse-moi vérifier, nous n'avons seulement besoin que de beurre. |
| Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | Salut les gars, c'est possible de faire moins de bruit? |