







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 | |
|---|---|
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | Oh, désolée! Tu n'aimes pas nettoyer les choses, je peux le faire. |
| 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. |
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | Regarde, tu peux mieux admirer le coucher de soleil d'ici. |
| He is fine. | Il va bien. |
| Yeah, I've got it! | Ouais, je l'ai! |
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | Malheureusement, je n'en ai aucune ! Où est la tienne ? |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | Ouais, je me demande si on partage les mêmes goûts en matière de films ! |
| Well, instead of chicken you can try the duck, it's yummy! | Bien, à la place du poulet tu pourrais essayer le canard, c'est bon ! |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | C'est un plombier chéri, apparemment elles sont bouchées. |
| I was just joking, how are you? | Je plaisantais, comment allez-vous ? |
| Sorry, I hope it doesn't ruin your childhood memories... | Pardon, J'espère que ça ne ruine pas tes souvenirs d'enfance... |
| Well, I hope he doesn't keep on pooping all around the house! | Bien, j'espère qu'il ne fera pas caca partout dans la maison! |
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | Vraiment ? Je n'ai pas envie de ruiner ton plan, mais... |
| We call it a sixth sense! | On appelle ça un sixième sens ! |
| Taking Bear out usually takes me an hour. | Sortir Bear me prend généralement une heure. |
| She is doing well, we have 3 months left to go. | Elle se débrouille très bien, on doit encore attendre 3 mois. |
| He is one of my best friends, unfortunately. | C'est un de mes meilleurs amis, malheureusement. |
| Well, that's another problem! | Et bien, c'est un autre souci! |
| Hello, what kind of dog do you have, Mike? | Bonjour, quel race de chien avez-vous ? |
| I don't think it's a suitable movie for kids, dear. | Je ne pense pas que ça soit un film approprié aux enfants, chéri. |