







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 | |
|---|---|
| The packets have 2 pieces in them. | Les paquets ont 2 pièces. |
| Eating leftovers during the week saves me some time. | Manger des restes pendant la semaine me fait gagner du temps. |
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | Ouais, on dirait que le printemps est le pire moment pour avoir des allergies! |
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | N'est-ce pas un peut trop tôt pour un dîner ? |
| That's nice, the cupboards look good, the bench is okay... | C'est sympa, les placards on l'air bien, le banc est correct... |
| Who knows, I consider it as nothing more than a hobby. | Qui sait? Je pense plus qu'il s'agit d'un hobby. |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | Qu’aurais-je pu faire d'autre? Tu t'attends à ce que je ne dorme plus jusqu'à ce que je meure? |
| I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | Je suis désolé, mais je dois annuler notre rendez-vous aujourd'hui. |
| Well, instead of chicken you can try the duck, it's yummy! | Bien, à la place du poulet tu pourrais essayer le canard, c'est bon ! |
| I mean, do you cook Asian or other kinds of cuisines? | Je veux dire, tu prépares de la nouriture Asiatique ou d'autres pays? |
| I'm just teasing you, dear, 200 degrees is okay! | Je rigolais chéri, 200 degrés suffisent! |
| Yeah, and the market is good, is Camden Lock in zone-2 or 3? | Ouais, et le marché est bon, Carmen Lock est-il en zone 2 ou 3 ? |
| I hope you are aware it's your last 3 days to find a house... | J'espère que tu es au courant qu'il te reste trois jours pour trouver une maison... |
| That's a very interesting combination. | C'est une combinaison très intéressante. |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | C'est un plombier chéri, apparemment elles sont bouchées. |
| There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | Il y a un robot dans le corps d'un enfant, mais il ne sait pas que c'est un robot. |
| I'm sure it's where it always is. | Je suis sûr qu'elle est à sa place. |
| Why? What's wrong? | Pourquoi, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ? |
| Thanks for offering me that, dear. | Merci de me le proposer chéri. |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | C'est quand même 5£ de plus que la plus grande chambre! |