







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 | |
|---|---|
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | C'est vrai, je pense que les cocottes minutes sont dangeureuses aussi! |
| The ones at the bottom look fresher. | Ceux du bas semblent plus frais. |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | J'espère donc qu'elle n'en est pas une qui soit problématique... |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | Nous sortons ce soir pour Laura. |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Je suis vraiment impressionnée par l'architecture de cette gare. |
| So, I guess you are from Australia. | Donc, tu viens d'Australie si je ne m'abuse. |
| I think we should wait for a while till all that smoke disappears. | Je pense qu'on devrait attendre jusqu'à ce que cette fumée disparaisse. |
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | Bien sûr, 2 tomates sont suffisantes je crois. |
| As I said, it's much easier to open with two people. | Comme je l'avais dit, c'est plus facile de l'ouvrir à deux. |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | Je suis sur la route pour Brighton, je suis presque arrivé! |
| I'm sorry guys, there is no negotiation on the rent! | Désolé les gars mais il n'y a pas de négociation sur le loyer! |
| Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | Nous y voilà, je suis sûr qu'ils payent moins. |
| Do we have a mortar and pestle? | Est-ce qu'on a un mortier et un pilon? |
| Does anyone else need anything? | Est-ce que quelqu'un d'autre a besoin de quelque chose ? |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Je ne pense pas que ce soit normal, et toi? |
| Don't worry Mike, I think this one is better. | Ne t'en fais pas Mike, je pense que celle-ci est meilleure. |
| Yes, he is one of them. | Oui. C'est l'un d'entre eux. |
| Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | Ou pire, parfois, ils font la fête à la maison! |
| Is there anything else I can do for you, love? | Est-ce que je peux faire autre chose pour toi, love ? |
| All of my work is in that laptop and I don't have any backup! | Tout mon travail est sur cet ordinateur et je n'ai pas de sauvegarde ! |