







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 are welcome, here is the menu, madam. | De rien, voici le menu, madame. |
| You look much younger than that. | Vous semblez plus jeune que cela. |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | J'ai un rendez-vous au Ministère de l'Intérieur pour l'extension de mon visa? |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | Il y a 500g de beurre dans un paquet pas encore ouvert. |
| Can you please not forget to take some poo bags with you! | N'oublie pas de prendre des sacs à crotte avec toi! |
| Thank god there is nothing to worry about. | Merci, tout va bien. |
| Congratulations, I wish you luck. | Félicitations, je vous souhaite bonne chance. |
| No, what is that? | Non, dis-moi? |
| Who is Mike, darling? | Qui est Mike, chéri ? |
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | N'est-ce pas un peut trop tôt pour un dîner ? |
| So, I guess you are from Australia. | Donc, tu viens d'Australie si je ne m'abuse. |
| Pogo still hates coming to the vet, though! | Pogo haït toujours venir chez le vétérinaire, ceci dit ! |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | Bonjour, je ne pense pas qu’elle soit cassée. |
| I'm sorry but I have bad news about the room... | Je suis désolé mais j'ai une mauvais nouvelle concernant la chambre... |
| Girls, this is Diego. | Les filles, voici Diego. |
| Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | Salut chérie, comment ça va, t'as besoin d'aide ? |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | Veux-tu que j'aille lui dire que tu es là? |
| Wow, that's unbelievable, is it yours? | Wow, c'est incroyable, elle est à toi? |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | Bear supporte tout à fait les chats, mais pas les chiens. |
| What kind of trick is that? | Quelle sorte de ruse est-ce ? |