







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 | |
|---|---|
| What do you want me to do with them? | Tu veux que je fasse quoi avec? |
| The rice section is over there. | Le rayon des riz est ici. |
| I'm really sorry, what kind of sickness is it? | Je suis vraiment désolé, il s'agit de quel type de maladie? |
| It says best before 25th of February. | Il est indiqué au mieux avant le 25 Février. |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | C'est pas très loin de là... Il y a une infime différence! |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | Bonjour, je ne pense pas qu’elle soit cassée. |
| Why do you think it's weird? | Pourquoi penses-tu que c'est bizarre ? |
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | Non, mais ça serait ce que j'aimerais avoir... |
| 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. |
| You are welcome, here is the menu, madam. | De rien, voici le menu, madame. |
| My friend noted here it is your wedding anniversary! | Mon ami a noté ici que c'était votre anniversaire de mariage ! |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Rejoignons-nous à la station de train ou voulez-vous que je vienne vous chercher de chez vous ? |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Nous somme de retour, où est Bear? |
| Oh, your girlfriend's cat... Does she live here with you? | Oh, le chat de ta petite amie... Elle habite ici aussi? |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | Je ne sais pas vraiment et vous ? |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | Et puis, les vétérinaires sont si chers ! |
| Why don't we pay 100 more each, and get a house in Mayfair? | Pourquoi payerions-nous pas 100 de plus chacun et avoir une maison à Mayfair ? |
| Mike, teriyaki is Japanese, we are at a Chinese restaurant. | Mike, le teriyaki c'est japonais, nous sommes dans un restaurant Chinois. |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Il n'y a-t-il pas quatre d'entre nous chéri ? |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Mais Tesco est plus grand, ils ont une plus grande diversité de produits. |