







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 don't need to wake up very early. | Je ne dois pas me lever très tôt. |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | Ma chérie bien-aimée me dit toujours à quel point vos rouleaux de printemps sont bons. |
| Yes, my number is 0773***0282. | Oui, mon numéro est 0773***0282. |
| Do we have a sieve? | Est-ce qu'on a une passoire? |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | Oui, c'est une bonne idée. |
| He must be sleeping, he usually works at night, too. | Il doit être en train de dormir, il travaille souvent la nuit aussi. |
| No, I'm a real estate agent. | Non, je suis un agent immobilier. |
| Do you mean the guy with the beard? | Tu parles de ce gars avec la barbe ? |
| Excuse me ma'am, here is an undamaged packet of rice for you. | Excusez-moi madame, voici un paquet de riz neuf pour vous. |
| 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 ! |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Tu veux que le plateau soit au milieu? |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | Allez-vous souvent au Moulin à Vent ? |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Bien sûr ! C'est mon pub préféré. |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Hé, l'eau bout, tu veux que je la verse dans une casserole? |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | C'est le dernier et malheureusement l'emballage est trouée. |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | Bien sûr ! Pourquoi c'est si important? |
| I'm okay, how are you? | Je suis bien, et toi? |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | Peu importe, que nous reste-t-il à faire désormais ? |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Je suis vraiment impressionnée par l'architecture de cette gare. |
| Why did you ask, do you want me to boil it? | Pourquoi tu demandes, tu veux que je le fasse bouillir? |