







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 | |
|---|---|
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Très bien, je pense que je sais qui sait... |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | Parce que d'autres personnes se plaignent de moi fumant là-bas. |
| Is that right? | C'est cela ? |
| Anyway, the flight situation is a bit complicated. | Bref, les conditions du vol sont un peu compliquées. |
| The ones at the bottom look fresher. | Ceux du bas semblent plus frais. |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | J'en vois beaucoup là où je travaille à vrai dire. |
| Isn't it just a simple meeting cancellation? | N'est-ce pas tout simplement une annulation de rendez-vous? |
| They don't usually work after ten o'clock. | Ils ne travaillent généralement pas après dix heures. |
| What do you want me to do with them? | Tu veux que je fasse quoi avec? |
| I'm an English teacher. | Je suis professeur d'anglais. |
| What else do we need? | On a besoin de quoi d'autre? |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Je peux l'amener ici avec moi quand je reviens pour le petit déjeuner. |
| It won't change anything, but reminding me is stressing me out! | Non, ça ne va rien changer, mais me le rappeler me fait stresser! |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Morrison n'est-il pas plus près? |
| I'm okay, how are you? | Je suis bien, et toi? |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | Bonjour, avez-vous une carte de fidélité Tesco monsieur ? |
| There is no table for you, then! | Il n'y a donc pas de table pour toi ! |
| No, but I definitely don't want to live in that house anymore! | Non, mais je ne veux plus du tout vivre dans cette maison ! |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Le chat de qui?... Tu veux dire mon chat? |
| As far as I know, Chows are not good with other animals. | D'aussi longtemps que je me souvienne les chow-chows ne supportent pas les autres animaux. |