







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 | |
|---|---|
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | Avec des plaques au gaz, quelqu'un risque de les oublier, c'est trop dangeureux! |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | J'espère que cela ne dérange pas vos amies. |
| Because you are in it. | Tu es avec moi. |
| Do you need to wake up early tomorrow or something? | Vous devez vous lever tôt demain ? |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | Oh mon dieu, je suis trop fatiguée là. |
| No, this one is the shop's own brand, that's why it's not expensive. | Non, celui-ci est celui de la marque du magasin, c'est pourquoi il n'est pas si cher. |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | Oui, je veux voir la salle de bains... |
| Here you go sir, this is your receipt and your £20 cashback. | Voici monsieur, ceci est votre reçu et ceci est votre monnaie de 20 livres. |
| It's usually at the top right of your screen. | C'est habituellement en haut à gauche de votre écran. |
| What genre do you listen to? | Quel genre de musique écoutes-tu ? |
| Hey Mike, you look so worried! | Salut Mike, tu sembles si inquiet ! |
| Thanks for warning me now, that's very helpful! | Merci de me le dire maintenant, ça m'aide beaucoup! |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Peut-être qu'elle est vraiment allergique aux chats, on ne le sait pas. |
| How many people live in this house? | Combien de personnes vivent ici? |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | Et à quoi ressemble un professeur d'anglais ? |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | Je n'arrive pas à croire que tu n'aies toujours pas compris ! |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | Hé, quelle est la station la plus proche de China Town ? |
| 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. |
| It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | C'est difficile à croire mais on a une cocotte minute à la maison. |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | Ta mère peut-elle gérer la situation toute seule? |