







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 searched: does Pinocchio know he is not a real boy. | J'ai cherché : est-ce que Pinnochio sait qu'il n'est pas un vrai garçon. |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Est-ce que votre chien est un Chow Chow ? |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Heu... Nous sommes mariés... Je veux dire, aujourd'hui c'est l'anniversaire de notre mariage ! |
| Do you want me to wash the wine bottle before I pour it? | Tu veux que je lave la bouteille de vin avant de t'en verser? |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | Eh bien, je suis habituée aux mauvais nouvelles aujourd'hui, qu'y a-t-il? |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | Peux-tu me montrer quels habits je dois déplacer ? |
| The rice section is over there. | Le rayon des riz est ici. |
| 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. |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | J'ai faim, mais c'est mieux d'avoir quelque chose quand nous verrons les garçons. |
| I'm sorry for not showing up at your opening. | Je suis désolé de ne pas avoir été là à l'inauguration. |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | Je suis d'accord, les longs vols ne sont pas ma tasse de thé. |
| I'm sorry but I have bad news about the room... | Je suis désolé mais j'ai une mauvais nouvelle concernant la chambre... |
| Oh hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | Oh bonjour... J'ai oublié de le dire, il s'agit également d'un événement très spécial... |
| I don't want to talk about this issue in this house. | Je ne veux plus parler de ce problème dans cette maison. |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | Allons, Mike, ça ne relève pas de moi à la maison. |
| There are some vending machines in the station. | Il y a des distributeurs automatiques dans la gare. |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Enfin, voici Cate et ses collègues de travail. |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Hé, l'eau bout, tu veux que je la verse dans une casserole? |
| Is it possible not to be able to find return tickets? | C'est possible de ne pas en trouver? |
| That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | C'est spécifique. Je ne pense pas qu'on ait un mortier et un pilon. |