







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 | |
|---|---|
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | Bien sûr, 2 tomates sont suffisantes je crois. |
| Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Bien sûr, mon nom est Cate et mon numéro est le 077... |
| Hmm... actually, we have to boil it. | Hum... on doit le faire bouillir en fait. |
| Umm, Dick is here, dear, he is the landlord... | Umm, c'est Dick ma chérie, le propriétaire... |
| See you Mike, hope to see you again. | Merci Mike, en espérant te revoir. |
| They're there, under the duvet. | Ils sont là-bas, sous la couette. |
| 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. |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 degrés est le maximum! |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Veuillez m'excuser, j'ai besoin d'aller aux toilettes. |
| My cat is in the garden. | Mon Chat est dans le jardin. |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | C'est mon petit ami, Mike. |
| Are you with your friends? | Etes-vous avec vos amis ? |
| I hope they are going to be here on time, too... I don't like waiting. | J'espère qu'ils seront à l'heure aussi,... je n'aime pas attendre. |
| I didn't say it's your fault, but it's your turn now... | Je n'ai pas dit que c'était de ta faut, mais c'est ton tour maintenant... |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | C'est un plombier chéri, apparemment elles sont bouchées. |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | Je vais lui demander de sortir Bear, pour qu'on puisse prendre le petit déjeuner. |
| No, it's the owner, she is an old lady and very strict about that. | Non, c'est la propriétaire, c'est une vieille dame et elle est très stricte à propos de ça. |
| Is it a single or a double room? | C'est une chambre simple ou double? |
| It's Marvin Gaye, from the 60's, but this is the remix. | C'est Marvin Gaye, des années 60, mais c'est un remix. |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Morrison n'est-il pas plus près? |