







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 | |
|---|---|
| No, it doesn't look clean, do you want me to clean it? | Non, il n'a pas l'air propre, tu veux que je le nettoie? |
| How old are you? | Quel âge avez-vous ? |
| Why do you want to live there? | Pourquoi veux-tu vivre là-bas ? |
| Erm, we don't have any, but there is someone else's bread. | Euh, non, mais il y du pain qui appartient à quelqu'un d'autre. |
| How old are you? | Quel âge avez-vous ? |
| I don't mind sitting outside as long as I'm not cold. | Ça me dérange pas de m'asseoir dehors, tant que je n'ai pas froid. |
| Why is that rice so special? | En quoi ce riz est-il si spécial? |
| Eating leftovers during the week saves me some time. | Manger des restes pendant la semaine me fait gagner du temps. |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | Merci, ouais, comme je l'ai dit, Carmen est en zone 2... |
| How is it my fault? | Comment ça c'est de ma faute ? |
| There is no table for you, then! | Il n'y a donc pas de table pour toi ! |
| And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | C'est difficile à croire mais il est propre. |
| Which website do you use? | Tu utilises quel site web? |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Quel type de musique aimes-tu le plus ? |
| No, it's not okay, I'm screwed now! | Non, tout va mal, je suis coincé maintenant! |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Tu veux que le plateau soit au milieu? |
| Then you can decide if I'm a good cook or not! | Tu pourras voir si je suis un bon cuisinier ou pas! |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Bien sûr, mon nom est Cate et mon numéro est le 077... |
| Do you live in this house, too? | Vous vivez dans cette maison? |
| Do you want me to make you a cup of tea or coffee? | Tu veux que je te fasse un thé ou un café? |