







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes, it's in Piccadilly Circus right in the centre. | Oui, c'est à Piccadilly Circus, pile au centre. |
| Erm.. Isn't it there? | Hum... il n'est pas là ? |
| Um.. it could be blue, I don't really remember. | Alors... Il pourrait être bleu, mais je ne m'en souviens pas très bien. |
| But their room is almost double the size of our room! | Mais leur chambre fait presque le double de la nôtre! |
| 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... |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Il est 4 heure et demi, on est donc pile à l'heure. |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Quel type de musique aimes-tu le plus ? |
| There is no direct flight from London to Perth. | Il n'y a pas d vol direct de Londres à Perth. |
| But one of them is £2.44 and the other one is £1.22. | Mais l'un des deux paquets coûte 2.44 livres tandis que l'autre coûte 1.22 livres. |
| I'm sorry for not showing up at your opening. | Je suis désolé de ne pas avoir été là à l'inauguration. |
| You are absolutely right! | Vous avez absolument raison ! |
| I don't know, maximum 33? | Je ne sais pas, 33 ans maximum ? |
| How is there four of us? | En quoi il y a-t-il quatre d'entre nous ? |
| That's okay, I don't mind. | C'est okay, ça ne me dérange pas. |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Salut, je ne m'appelle pas Dick, mais Nick, avec un N. |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Je pense qu'il veut boire de l'eau. |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | Ta mère peut-elle gérer la situation toute seule? |
| How are you? | Et vous ? |
| Not long, my lessons start at 12:30. | Pas longtemps, mes cours commencent à 12h30. |
| What do you do? | Que faites-vous ? |