







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 | |
|---|---|
| How are you? | Et vous ? |
| That's very interesting! | C’est très intéressant ! |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | Ça craint, tu as un rhume? |
| How are things going, is everything ok? | Comment les choses se passent-ils, tout va bien? |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | C'est pas très loin de là... Il y a une infime différence! |
| Plus the bathroom and the kitchen are clean. | En plus, la cuisine et la salle de bain sont propres. |
| It's impossible for me to commute from zone-9 to 1 everyday. | C'est impossible pour moi de passer de la zone 9 à la zone 1 tous les jours. |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Oui, c'est très important pour moi, en fait. |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | Il y a un problème avec la batterie de ton téléphone? |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | Heu, oh oui, je peux le voir maintenant, le numéro d'annonce est le 9845... |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | Ma réunion commence à une heure. |
| Yeah, I think it's a bit early to knock on someone's door! | Oui, il est un peu tôt pour toquer chez quelqu'un! |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Le chat de qui?... Tu veux dire mon chat? |
| I want to be sober and energetic for tomorrow. | Je veux être sobre et en forme pour demain. |
| I live very close by. | Je vis très proche d'ici. |
| I think that *hand caught on fire* thing is a joke! | Je pense que *la main qui prend feu* est une blague ! |
| Hey, before you go... | Hé, avant que tu ne partes... |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | Oh mon dieu, je suis trop fatiguée là. |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | C'est bien, visiter trois maisons en un jour c'est pas mal. |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Je n'ai aucune idée de ce que le riz arborio est! |