







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 | |
|---|---|
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Rejoignons-nous à la station de train ou voulez-vous que je vienne vous chercher de chez vous ? |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | 50% de 135 c'est 67.50... Ça fait 202.50 au total. |
| Oh yeah, it's our girls' night out tonight. | Oh oui, c'est notre soirées entre filles ce soir ? |
| But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | Mais je ne pense pas pouvoir tous les utiliser, il y en a trop! |
| Yes, my number is 0773***0282. | Oui, mon numéro est 0773***0282. |
| Excuse me sir, here are your drinks and the menu. | Excusez-moi monsieur, voici vos boissons et le menu. |
| Let me check... when is best for you? | Laissez-moi vérifier... Quand est-ce le meilleur pour vous ? |
| 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. |
| How much rice do you need? | Quelle quantité de riz as-tu besoin? |
| 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. |
| Why? What's wrong? | Pourquoi, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ? |
| Because I'm sure they don't serve bugs in London! | Parce que je sûre qu'ils ne servent pas d'insectes à Londres ! |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Très bien, je pense que je sais qui sait... |
| He also wants to increase our rent by 50%! | Il veut aussi augmenter le loyer de 50%! |
| I guess you need to change your cooking plan now! | Je pense que tu as besoin de changer de plan de cuisson, maintenant! |
| Really? Sade is one of my favourites, too. | Vraiment ? Sade est l'un de mes groupes favoris aussi. |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | Je ne sais pas vraiment et vous ? |
| Bear's sitting here with me, his willy is out. | Bear est assis avec moi, son zizi est dehors. |
| Um, I don't feel like eating anything but fish today. | Et bien, je sens que je ne mangerai rien à part du poisson aujourd'hui. |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Bonjour les gars, vous devez être Cate, je suis Joseph. |