







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's Marvin Gaye, from the 60's, but this is the remix. | C'est Marvin Gaye, des années 60, mais c'est un remix. |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | Merci papa, où est la laisse de Bear? |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | C'est quand même 5£ de plus que la plus grande chambre! |
| I live just opposite the pub. | Je vis en face du pub. |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | Ouais, mais la chambre est carrée et il n'y a que quatre meubles principaux dedans. |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mon mari et moi sommes vraiment contents. |
| 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. |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | J'ai l'habitude de préparer des plats à base de viande, poison et volaille. |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh, vraiment ? Ce n'est pas bien. |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | Et, maintenant, il nous reste plein de champignons à utiliser. |
| Do you want me to wash the wine bottle before I pour it? | Tu veux que je lave la bouteille de vin avant de t'en verser? |
| Do you really think it looks like we have a cleaner? | Est-ce qu'on a une tête à avoir un domestique? |
| Then, I don't think we need to see the next one! | Alors, je pense qu'on n'a pas besoin de voir la prochaine! |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | Et ça, c'est ma petite amie, Cate. |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | Oh, mon Dieu, c'est la deuxième chose que je déteste faire dans la cuisine! |
| The packets have 2 pieces in them. | Les paquets ont 2 pièces. |
| Yes, they are all around 2 pounds. | Oui, ils coûtent tous à peu près 2 livres. |
| But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | Mais je ne pense pas pouvoir tous les utiliser, il y en a trop! |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | Merci Rocco, c'est bon pour l'instant. |
| To me, wasting it is weirder! | Pour moi, gaspiller c'est plus bizarre ! |