







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 | |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | Je ne veux plus rester dans cette maison! |
| I'm okay, how are you? | Je suis bien, et toi? |
| He is one of my best friends, unfortunately. | C'est un de mes meilleurs amis, malheureusement. |
| Is that right? | C'est cela ? |
| I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | Je ne pense pas qu'il soit possible de trouver plus de configurations. |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | J'ai un rendez-vous au Ministère de l'Intérieur pour l'extension de mon visa? |
| The place I am having the meeting is very close to Brighton Pier. | L'endroit où j'ai la réunion est très proche de Brighton. |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Je pense que nous devons tous partir bientôt. |
| I think I've got a better idea about what to do with the bed! | Je pense que j'ai une meilleure idée concernant quoi faire avec le lit ! |
| We call it a sixth sense! | On appelle ça un sixième sens ! |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Il est 4 heure et demi, on est donc pile à l'heure. |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Eh bien, pas vraiment! Je n'aime pas cuisiner tant que ça. |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | Je ne m'attendais pas à ce que quelque chose comme ça arrive, j'ai pas de plan. |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | J'ai l'habitude de préparer des plats à base de viande, poison et volaille. |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Un appartement n'est pas une bonne idée pour Bear, il n'a pas de jardin. |
| I'm really sorry to hear that, mate! | Je suis désolé d'entendre ça l'ami! |
| But one of them is £2.44 and the other one is £1.22. | Mais l'un des deux paquets coûte 2.44 livres tandis que l'autre coûte 1.22 livres. |
| Is it big money? | C'est beaucoup d'argent? |
| Do you want me to slice the mushrooms for you? | Tu veux que je coupe les champignons pour toi? |