







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 | |
|---|---|
| Bear hates being at a vet, too. | Bear aussi déteste aller chez le vétérinaire. |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | 50% de 135 c'est 67.50... Ça fait 202.50 au total. |
| 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. |
| Which website do you use? | Tu utilises quel site web? |
| It's Marvin Gaye, from the 60's, but this is the remix. | C'est Marvin Gaye, des années 60, mais c'est un remix. |
| That's why you have a headache now! | C'est pour ça que tu as mal à la tête! |
| We call it a sixth sense! | On appelle ça un sixième sens ! |
| He is a Chow Chow. | C'est un Chow Chow. |
| 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 did, why, isn't it normal? | Si, n'est-ce pas normal? |
| What’s their name? | Comment s'appelle-t-il ? |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mon mari et moi sommes vraiment contents. |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Tu dois appuyer sur le bouton et le tourner vers la droite. |
| No, it's the owner, she is an old lady and very strict about that. | Non, c'est la propriétaire, c'est une vieille dame et elle est très stricte à propos de ça. |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | Non elle va très bien, heureusement. |
| No, because she is mental and can harm Pogo or Bear! | Non, parce qu'elle est folle et qu'elle peut faire du mal à Pogo ou Bear ! |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | Et à quoi ressemble un professeur d'anglais ? |
| That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | C'est spécifique. Je ne pense pas qu'on ait un mortier et un pilon. |
| Do you live around here? | Vivez-vous prêt d'ici ? |
| No, but it's not good for him to take the stairs up and down everyday. | Non, mais monter et descendre les escaliers tous les jours n'est pas bon pour lui. |