







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 | |
|---|---|
| I live just opposite the pub. | Je vis en face du pub. |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | Oui, Bear mange un chat et demi par jour pour son petit déjeuner. |
| Well, that's another problem! | Et bien, c'est un autre souci! |
| I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | Je suis désolé, mais je dois annuler notre rendez-vous aujourd'hui. |
| Is there a garlic crusher, then? | Est-ce qu'il y a un écrase ail alors? |
| How much rice do you need? | Quelle quantité de riz as-tu besoin? |
| Depends on where you look. | Ça dépend où tu regardes. |
| Where are you? | Où es-tu? |
| How many people live in this house? | Combien de personnes vivent ici? |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | Merci papa, où est la laisse de Bear? |
| Hello mate, where are you? | Salut gars, t'es où? |
| Do we have a sieve? | Est-ce qu'on a une passoire? |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Il n'y a-t-il pas quatre d'entre nous chéri ? |
| Is it hay fever? I've got some pills for it! | C'est le rhume des foins? J'ai quelques pilules pour soigner ça! |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | Parce que d'autres personnes se plaignent de moi fumant là-bas. |
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | Tu peux demander ce que tu veux savoir. |
| That's nice, what do you usually cook? | C'est bien, qu'est-ce que tu cuisines habituellement? |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | Ce genre de personnes irresponsables m'énervent! |
| Yes, I like them, too. | Oui, je les aime aussi. |
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | Entrez, au rez-de-chausse, on a deux chambres... |