







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Oui, c'est une bonne idée! |
| No, what is that? | Non, dis-moi? |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | Ça aurait pu être sa mère... Qui sait? |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | Donc 2017 moins 1841, ça fait... |
| I can't call him at the moment because his phone is unreachable. | Je ne peux pas l'appeler en ce moment, son téléphone n'est pas joignable. |
| Sh*t! I can't believe it's already 10:30! | Merde ! Il est déjà 22:30 ! |
| 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. |
| We call it a sixth sense! | On appelle ça un sixième sens ! |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | C'est bien... J'espère que ce n'est pas une adolescente ! Quel âge a-t-elle ? |
| Okay, how much salt do you want me to add? | Ok, combien de sel veux-tu que je mette? |
| Nope, I don't cook fancy things, only regular dishes. | Non, je ne prépare rien d'extravagant, seulement des plats basiques. |
| The ones at the bottom look fresher. | Ceux du bas semblent plus frais. |
| Sorry, the line is very bad! | Désolé, la ligne est très mauvaise! |
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | Non, je ne mens pas! Je mens jamais. |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh, vraiment ? Ce n'est pas bien. |
| 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. |
| So I don't snore everyday... | Donc je n'ai pas ronflé tous les jours... |
| There are some vending machines in the station. | Il y a des distributeurs automatiques dans la gare. |
| What's the reason for the cancellation this time? | Pourquoi annuler à ce moment-ci? |
| Umm, Dick is here, dear, he is the landlord... | Umm, c'est Dick ma chérie, le propriétaire... |