







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 | |
|---|---|
| You are welcome, here is the menu, madam. | De rien, voici le menu, madame. |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | Minute, je me souviens de toi disant que tu ne tuais jamais d'animaux ! |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | On dirait que Pogo veut aller dans le jardin. |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | Bonjour, est-ce que votre chat va bien ? |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | Tu peux rester avec moi jusqu'à ce que tu trouves où aller. |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Tu dois appuyer sur le bouton et le tourner vers la droite. |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Le chat de qui?... Tu veux dire mon chat? |
| That's why you have a headache now! | C'est pour ça que tu as mal à la tête! |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | Un bouquet de semble-t-il suffisant ? |
| Thank you again for giving me your turn. | Merci encore de m'avoir fait passé avant vous. |
| Do you know how to use them? | Tu sais comment les utiliser? |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | C'est bien... J'espère que ce n'est pas une adolescente ! Quel âge a-t-elle ? |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | Désolé Mme.Jones, il y a un malentendu... |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Tu sais que demain est mon dernier jour. |
| I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | Je suis désolé, je ne suis pas doué pour me souvenir des noms! |
| I wake up and make my bed, then tidy my room. | Je me réveille, je vais mon lit et je range ma chambre. |
| I think I deserve a kiss... | Je pense que je mérite un bisou... |
| Eating leftovers during the week saves me some time. | Manger des restes pendant la semaine me fait gagner du temps. |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Je pense qu'il veut boire de l'eau. |
| Do you know her well? | La connais-tu bien ? |