







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 | |
|---|---|
| Why? What's wrong? | Pourquoi, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ? |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | Bonjour, avez-vous une carte de fidélité Tesco monsieur ? |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Vraiment ? Comment fais-je pour te réveiller ? |
| It's all your fault! I feel so embarrassed now... | C'est entièrement de ta faute ! Je me sens tellement embarrassée maintenant... |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | C'est quand même 5£ de plus que la plus grande chambre! |
| There is no table for you, then! | Il n'y a donc pas de table pour toi ! |
| Thanks, but I don't have time to stay. | Merci, mais je n'ai pas le temps de rester. |
| Come on dear, I know you want me to! | Allez chéri, je sais que tu le veux! |
| I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | Je suis désolé, mais je dois annuler notre rendez-vous aujourd'hui. |
| I think one room is empty upstairs at the moment. | Je crois qu'il y a une chambre vide à l'étage en ce moment. |
| Do you mean the guy with the beard? | Tu parles de ce gars avec la barbe ? |
| The recipe is for 6 people. | La recette est pour 6 personnes. |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mon dieu ! il est presque 12 heures. |
| So it comes to 2,800 a month! | Donc cela revient à 2800 par mois ! |
| Nope, as I said before, they live in Australia. | Non, comme je l'ai déjà dit, ils habitent en Australie. |
| I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | Je suis désolé mais c'est rien d'exceptionnel. |
| How much rice do you need? | Quelle quantité de riz as-tu besoin? |
| I really don't want to see her again! | Je n'ai pas vraiment envie de la voir de nouveau! |
| It's about a web project. | C'est à propos d'un projet web. |
| I was just joking, how are you? | Je plaisantais, comment allez-vous ? |