







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 | |
|---|---|
| Not long, my lessons start at 12:30. | Pas longtemps, mes cours commencent à 12h30. |
| How old are you? | Quel âge avez-vous ? |
| But that's true, some Chows are a bit aggressive. | Mais c'est vrai, quelques chow-chows sont un peu agressifs. |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Salut mon ami, comment vas-tu? |
| I'm sure it's where it always is. | Je suis sûr qu'elle est à sa place. |
| Nope, I don't cook fancy things, only regular dishes. | Non, je ne prépare rien d'extravagant, seulement des plats basiques. |
| Why? I never put a question mark when I search something! | Pourquoi ? Je ne mets jamais de point d'interrogation lorsque je cherche quelque chose ! |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Oui, c'est une bonne idée! |
| There is no table for you, then! | Il n'y a donc pas de table pour toi ! |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | C'est un plombier chéri, apparemment elles sont bouchées. |
| I was just joking, how are you? | Je plaisantais, comment allez-vous ? |
| What's your plan, Cate? | Que voulez-vous faire Cate ? |
| You are absolutely right! | Vous avez absolument raison ! |
| How is there four of us? | En quoi il y a-t-il quatre d'entre nous ? |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | Vraiment ? Je n'ai pas envie de ruiner ton plan, mais... |
| Maybe I know your friend. | Peut-être que je connais votre ami. |
| I live just opposite the pub. | Je vis en face du pub. |
| You were explaining why you are here at 07:30 in the morning. | Tu m'expliquais pourquoi tu étais là à 7h30 du matin. |