







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 need to change planes at some point on the way. | On a besoin de changer d'avion à un moment donné. |
| The packets have 2 pieces in them. | Les paquets ont 2 pièces. |
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | Un cursus d'un an ? Quel genre de cursus est-ce ? |
| Unfortunately, she is a teenager, she is 19! | Malheureusement, elle est une adolescente, elle a 19 ans ! |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | Dans ce cas, Pogo reste seul à la maison sans nourriture ni attention. |
| Oh, I think I know them. | Oh, je crois que je sais ce que c'est. |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Salut, pardonne-moi, je me suis un peu en retard. |
| Thanks, but I don't have time to stay. | Merci, mais je n'ai pas le temps de rester. |
| Okay, who sings it? | Okay, qui les chante ? |
| Oh, okay, is there a problem with your house? | Ah, okay, il y a un problème avec votre maison? |
| What's your maximum monthly budget for the rent? | Quel est ton budget mensuel maximum pour la location? |
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | Peu-être qu'ils préfèrent mettres des plaques électriques dans les colocations pour des raisons de sécurité. |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | Ce n'est pas grave, je pense qu'elles sont à la même distance. |
| Ta-ta here it is... | Ta-ta elle est là... |
| I hope you are aware it's your last 3 days to find a house... | J'espère que tu es au courant qu'il te reste trois jours pour trouver une maison... |
| You look much younger than that. | Vous semblez plus jeune que cela. |
| You're right, but he is not only here to fix things... | Tu as raison, mais il n'est pas seulement là pour réparer les choses... |
| Is she here with you? | Elle est avec toi? |
| Nothing, 'cause I don't know what the woman looks like. | Rien, puisque je ne sais à quoi elle ressemble. |
| Hello, is that Cate? | Salut, c'est Cate? |