







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 | |
|---|---|
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | Un cursus d'un an ? Quel genre de cursus est-ce ? |
| Do you live around here? | Vivez-vous prêt d'ici ? |
| How is there four of us? | En quoi il y a-t-il quatre d'entre nous ? |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Je pense que nous devons tous partir bientôt. |
| You don't know the story behind it. | Tu ne connais pas l'histoire que se cache derrière. |
| It's the second one from the top. | C'est le deuxième en partant du haut. |
| What is it about? | De quoi ça parle ? |
| Do you want me to slice the mushrooms for you? | Tu veux que je coupe les champignons pour toi? |
| What's your maximum monthly budget for the rent? | Quel est ton budget mensuel maximum pour la location? |
| She is doing well, we have 3 months left to go. | Elle se débrouille très bien, on doit encore attendre 3 mois. |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Je pense qu'il veut boire de l'eau. |
| I don't mind sitting outside as long as I'm not cold. | Ça me dérange pas de m'asseoir dehors, tant que je n'ai pas froid. |
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | Je ne pense pas, les trains quittent la gare toutes les 20 minutes à peu près. |
| Is it because the other tenants don't want pets? | C'est parce que les autres résidents n'aiment pas les animaux? |
| That's nice, the cupboards look good, the bench is okay... | C'est sympa, les placards on l'air bien, le banc est correct... |
| That's not nice, Mike! | C'est pas sympa Mike! |
| Oh, sorry, I didn't know I wasn't allowed to order what I want! | Oh, pardon, je ne savais pas que je n'étais pas autorisé à commander ce que je veux ! |
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | Mon père est Britannique et ma mère est Australienne. |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | Bear supporte tout à fait les chats, mais pas les chiens. |
| How do you get to Brighton? | Comment allez-vous à Brighton ? |