







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 | |
|---|---|
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Très bien, je pense que je sais qui sait... |
| There is nothing much left to do, there are only bits and pieces. | Il n'y a plus grand chose à faire, il n'y a que des trucs par-ci par-là. |
| 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. |
| It looks like you've got some experience with coffee. | On dirait que tu as de l'expérience avec le café. |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Bien sûr ! C'est mon pub préféré. |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Bien, c'est conclu ! Tu as 3 jours pour réfléchir à partir de maintenant ! |
| My cat is in the garden. | Mon Chat est dans le jardin. |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | Peux-tu me montrer quels habits je dois déplacer ? |
| Do you know her well? | La connais-tu bien ? |
| Where is your school, is it in central London? | Où se trouve ton école, au centre de Londre? |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Tu as des frères ou des soeurs? |
| Okay, maybe it's better for you to have some rest. | Okay, peut-être que c'est mieux pour toi de prendre un peu de repos. |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | Je ne veux plus rester dans cette maison! |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | C'est vrai! Combien coûte ton loyer? |
| Is it possible to move in tomorrow? | C'est possible d'emménager demain? |
| Okay, that's fine. | Okay, ça me va. |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 degrés est le maximum! |
| Do you have any area in mind? | As-tu une idée en tête ? |
| I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | J'ai besoin de persil, mais ils ne semblent pas frais. |
| Does the kid think he is a robot or the robot think it's a kid? | L'enfant pense qu'il est un robot ou le robot pense qu'il est un enfant ? |