







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'm happy to hear that. | Je suis heureux de l'entendre. |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Enfin, voici Cate et ses collègues de travail. |
| Okay, what temperature do you want me to set it at? | Ok, tu veux que je le mette à quelle témpérature? |
| Oh, okay, is there a problem with your house? | Ah, okay, il y a un problème avec votre maison? |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Oui, tu veux dire, des tricycles? |
| Mike, it is a continent! | Mike, c'est un continent! |
| Yes it is, how are you? | Oui c'est moi, comment vas-tu? |
| Because I'm sure they don't serve bugs in London! | Parce que je sûre qu'ils ne servent pas d'insectes à Londres ! |
| You need to change planes at some point on the way. | On a besoin de changer d'avion à un moment donné. |
| You are welcome, here is the menu, madam. | De rien, voici le menu, madame. |
| My sisters live nearby, they help her sometimes. | Mes sœurs habitent pas loin, elles l'aident de temps en temps. |
| Are they older or younger? | Sont-elles plus ou moins jeunes que toi? |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | Les filles, je vous présente Mike. |
| We all love bank holidays. | Nous adorons les jours fériés. |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | C'est comme sur la pub. |
| You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | Tu as raison, il vaut probablement plus qu'une cigarette. |
| Yeah, the packet is ripped, but it's not overdue. | Ouais, le paquet et déchiré mais ce n'est pas une péremption. |
| Oh, come on dear, I was just joking, you know that... | Oh, allez chéri, je rigolais, tu le sais bien... |
| Do you have any area in mind? | As-tu une idée en tête ? |
| The room is spacious and sunny and the bed looks comfortable! | La chambre est spacieuse et le lit a l'air confortable! |