







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, he is keen on moving house... | Ouais, il est déterminé à quitter à la maison... |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | Je suis désolé du malentendu. |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Salut, je ne m'appelle pas Dick, mais Nick, avec un N. |
| What kind of trick is that? | Quelle sorte de ruse est-ce ? |
| Okay, we have all the things we need, then. | Ok, on a tout ce qu'il nous faut alors. |
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | Mon père est Britannique et ma mère est Australienne. |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | Il y a 500g de beurre dans un paquet pas encore ouvert. |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | Et ça, c'est ma petite amie, Cate. |
| Nope, oyster cards are only for transport in London. | Non, les oyster cards ne sont valables que pour les transports à Londres. |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | Nous sortons ce soir pour Laura. |
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | N'est-ce pas un peut trop tôt pour un dîner ? |
| Umm, Dick is here, dear, he is the landlord... | Umm, c'est Dick ma chérie, le propriétaire... |
| I'm okay, how are you? | Je suis bien, et toi? |
| Don't worry, we don't do it everyday. | Ne t'en fais pas, nous ne le faisons pas tous les jours. |
| Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | Salut chérie, comment ça va, t'as besoin d'aide ? |
| I want him to check the heaters in the rooms while he is here! | Je voulais qu'il jette un oeil aux radiateurs de la pièce pendant qu'on y est! |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalement, il est bien plus cher que les autres. |
| I think 4000 quid is big enough. | Je crois que 4000 livres c'est déjà pas mal. |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | Parce que d'autres personnes se plaignent de moi fumant là-bas. |
| I guess mine is older than yours! | Je pense que le mien est plus vieux que le tiens ! |