







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | Oui monsieur, vous pouvez vous asseoir à cette table. |
| 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. |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | J'espère que cela ne dérange pas vos amies. |
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | Oh Jésus Christ... J'ai compris maintenant ! C'est dégoûtant... |
| It makes all of our clothes stink! | Ensuite, tous tes habits puent ! |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Je peux l'amener ici avec moi quand je reviens pour le petit déjeuner. |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | C'est un plombier chéri, apparemment elles sont bouchées. |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | Il y en a plein d'autres, mais je pense que gumtree.com est le meilleur. |
| That's a good question! | C'est une bonne question ! |
| Do you like red or white onions? | Tu préfères les oignons rouges ou blancs? |
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | Oui, il va très bien après s'être reposé pendant un certain temps. |
| What do you think about him, Cate? | Que penses-tu de lui Cate ? |
| My friend noted here it is your wedding anniversary! | Mon ami a noté ici que c'était votre anniversaire de mariage ! |
| Yes, that's the one. | Oui c'est celui-là. |
| I think the price is very cheap. | Je pense que le prix est vraiment bas. |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | C'est vrai, je pense que les cocottes minutes sont dangeureuses aussi! |
| All of my work is in that laptop and I don't have any backup! | Tout mon travail est sur cet ordinateur et je n'ai pas de sauvegarde ! |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | Le chat n'est pas à moi, c'est celui de ma petite ami. |
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | Vraiment ? Je n'ai pas envie de ruiner ton plan, mais... |
| It's more than enough, I need some garlic, also. | C'est plus que suffisant, j'ai également besoin d'ail. |