







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's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Il est 4 heure et demi, on est donc pile à l'heure. |
| You are absolutely right! | Vous avez absolument raison ! |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | Bien vu, je suis sûr qu'ils ne paient pas autant! |
| That's a good question! | C'est une bonne question ! |
| Do you have any relatives in London? | Et tu as des proches à Londres? |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | Comment ose-t-il... Il est tellement stupide!!! |
| I am half-British and half-Australian. | Je suis moitié Britannique moitié Australienne. |
| No she is a very cute, easygoing and friendly girl. | Non, elle est vraiment mignonne, ouverte et amicale comme fille. |
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | Vraiment ? Je n'ai pas envie de ruiner ton plan, mais... |
| Is that what you want me to do? | C'est ce que tu veux que je fasse? |
| And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | C'est difficile à croire mais il est propre. |
| Yeah, you are right, it's more useful when you have less things. | Ouais, tu as raison, c'est plus utile lorsque nous avons peu de choses. |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Je peux cuisiner, bien sûr, mais seulement quand j'en ai envie. |
| 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. |
| Okay, maybe it's better for you to have some rest. | Okay, peut-être que c'est mieux pour toi de prendre un peu de repos. |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | Tu sais, certaines personnes n'aiment pas poster leurs publicités sur Internet. |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Enfin, voici Cate et ses collègues de travail. |
| I am planning to sleep in a bit since it's a holiday. | J'avais pour intention de domir un peu vu que c'est un jour férié. |
| Yes, I have got two sisters. | Oui, j'ai deux soeurs. |
| Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | Salut les gars, c'est possible de faire moins de bruit? |