







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 | |
|---|---|
| It makes all of our clothes stink! | Ensuite, tous tes habits puent ! |
| As they say, time is the best medicine. | Comme ils disent, le temps est le meilleur des médicaments. |
| That's why I never trust quiet people... | C'est pour ça que je ne fais pas confiance aux gens silencieux... |
| How much rice do you need? | Quelle quantité de riz as-tu besoin? |
| Maybe we can get something on the way to the station. | Peut être qu'on peut manger un morceau sur le chemin de la gare. |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | C'est comme si le mal était caché en eux! |
| How old are you? | Quel âge avez-vous ? |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | C'est vrai! Combien coûte ton loyer? |
| Do you want me to make you a cup of tea or coffee? | Tu veux que je te fasse un thé ou un café? |
| But maybe they are splitting up, I don't know yet. | Peut-être qu'ils se séparent, je ne sais pas encore. |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | Ce genre de personnes irresponsables m'énervent! |
| Do you expect me to make the room bigger by pushing the walls out? | Espères-tu de moi que j'agrandisse la chambre en déplaçant les murs ? |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Je n'aime pas aller à l'hôpital non plus. |
| Is it because of the cost, or another reason? | Est-ce que c'est à cause du prix, ou est-ce une autre raison? |
| Then he finds out he is a robot, not a real kid. | Ensuite, il découvre qu'il est un robot et pas un vrai enfant. |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | C'est mon petit ami, Mike. |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | Il est difficile de trouver tous les produits manuellement dans les caisses automatiques |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | Bien sûr, voici la salle de bains. |
| I'm calling him now then, do you want anything else? | Je l'appelle maintenant alors, tu as besoin de quelque chose? |
| I'm sorry guys, there is no negotiation on the rent! | Désolé les gars mais il n'y a pas de négociation sur le loyer! |