







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 | |
|---|---|
| Calm down dear, I don't think he realises what he says. | Calme toi chéri, je ne pense pas qu'il se rend compte de ce qu'il dit. |
| I hope he gets well soon. | J'espère qu'il récupérera rapidement. |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | J'espère que cela ne dérange pas vos amies. |
| Why don't you get it then? Do you want to see upstairs or not? | Pourquoi ne la prenez-vous pas alors? Vous voulez voir l'étage ou non? |
| Do you want me to get you a glass of wine? | Tu veux que je te verse un verre de vin? |
| But for how many people? | Mais pour combien de personnes? |
| Pogo still hates coming to the vet, though! | Pogo haït toujours venir chez le vétérinaire, ceci dit ! |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Quel type de musique aimes-tu le plus ? |
| Sorry, I hope it doesn't ruin your childhood memories... | Pardon, J'espère que ça ne ruine pas tes souvenirs d'enfance... |
| The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | La recette ne vient pas d'internet, mais d'un livre de Jamie Oliver. |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | Merci, à Samedi 13h alors. |
| Yes, of course I remember. | Oui, bien sûr que je me souviens. |
| 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... |
| 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 ! |
| Hello, I'm very sorry dear, I'm a bit late. | Salut, je suis désolée chéri, je suis un peu en retard. |
| Do you have any area in mind? | As-tu une idée en tête ? |
| I'm happy to hear that. | Je suis heureux de l'entendre. |
| There is one at 11:00 and the next one is at 11:20. | Il y en a un à 11:00 et le prochain à 11:20. |
| It's a kind of welcoming party for her. | C'est un peu une fête de bienvenue pour elle. |
| 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 ? |