







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 | |
|---|---|
| I need to use chicken stock for the risotto! | J'ai besoin d'un fond de volaille pour le risotto! |
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | Non, mais ça serait ce que j'aimerais avoir... |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Le chat de qui?... Tu veux dire mon chat? |
| Yes, that's okay, we are just about to leave. | Oui, nous allions partir. |
| See you Mike, hope to see you again. | Merci Mike, en espérant te revoir. |
| Depends on where you look. | Ça dépend où tu regardes. |
| It's all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | Tout est à propos de mon chaton, Pogo. |
| That's why you can't find the answer! | C'est pourquoi tu ne peux pas trouver la réponse ! |
| I hate taking long flights! | Je déteste prendre de longs vols! |
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | Ma barbe me rend plus vieux, je pense. |
| As I said, it's much easier to open with two people. | Comme je l'avais dit, c'est plus facile de l'ouvrir à deux. |
| To me, wasting it is weirder! | Pour moi, gaspiller c'est plus bizarre ! |
| No, what is that? | Non, dis-moi? |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | Parce que d'autres personnes se plaignent de moi fumant là-bas. |
| But sometimes I feel guilty not being there! | Mais parfois, je me sens coupable de ne pas être là! |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | Pourquoi? Il a l'air plutôt propre! |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Bien, c'est conclu ! Tu as 3 jours pour réfléchir à partir de maintenant ! |
| Maybe I know your friend. | Peut-être que je connais votre ami. |
| But that's true, some Chows are a bit aggressive. | Mais c'est vrai, quelques chow-chows sont un peu agressifs. |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | J'espère donc qu'elle n'en est pas une qui soit problématique... |