







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 | |
|---|---|
| Is there anything else I can do for you, love? | Est-ce que je peux faire autre chose pour toi, love ? |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Du bacon, des oeufs et quelques olives me suffisent. |
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | Tu ne ramasses jamais la crotte de Bear sur le sol. |
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | Cate, ça va? Tu as l'air un peu aggressive. |
| I need to use chicken stock for the risotto! | J'ai besoin d'un fond de volaille pour le risotto! |
| Anyway, the flight situation is a bit complicated. | Bref, les conditions du vol sont un peu compliquées. |
| No she is a very cute, easygoing and friendly girl. | Non, elle est vraiment mignonne, ouverte et amicale comme fille. |
| Do your parents live in London, too? | Tes parents vivent à Londres aussi? |
| It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | C'est difficile à croire mais on a une cocotte minute à la maison. |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | C'est pas ouf mais c'est assez important que tu me le dises. |
| My laptop is in it. | Mon ordinateur est dedans. |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | Pogo est mon petit chat, y'a-t-il un problème? |
| Yeah, it's better not to fully fill the bath, it leaks downstairs. | Oui, c'est mieux de ne pas la remplir complètement, elle fuit à l'étage d'en dessous. |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Je suis vraiment impressionnée par l'architecture de cette gare. |
| Let me check... Yes, there are some plates. | Laisse-moi vérifier... Oui, il y a quelques assiettes. |
| Is that right? | C'est cela ? |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Oui, c'est une bonne idée! |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 degrés devraient aller. |
| No, what is that? | Non, dis-moi? |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Bonjour, êtes-vous Cate? |