







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, she is totally fine, thankfully. | Non elle va très bien, heureusement. |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Bonjour, êtes-vous Cate? |
| Yes, they are all around 2 pounds. | Oui, ils coûtent tous à peu près 2 livres. |
| Do you remember the pub's name? | Souvenez-vous du nom du pub ? |
| But one of them is £2.44 and the other one is £1.22. | Mais l'un des deux paquets coûte 2.44 livres tandis que l'autre coûte 1.22 livres. |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | J'aime les musique de Jamiroquai, mais pas toutes d'entre elles. |
| 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'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Je suis vraiment impressionnée par l'architecture de cette gare. |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | Et puis, les vétérinaires sont si chers ! |
| Diego, do you want me to get you anything to eat? | Diego, tu veux que je te rapporte quelque chose à manger ? |
| He hasn't realised that we are at a vet yet. | Il n'a pas encore compris que nous étions chez le vétérinaire. |
| I am, I have to be there at 12:30. | Si, je dois y être pour 12h30. |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | C'est un plombier chéri, apparemment elles sont bouchées. |
| Isn't that funny? | C'est drôle, n'est-ce pas ? |
| Do your parents live in London, too? | Tes parents vivent à Londres aussi? |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | C'est comme si le mal était caché en eux! |
| Of course, oh, there is a half-eaten pizza in the oven. | Bien sûr, il y a une pizza a moitié mangée dedans. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not serious. | Je ne savais pas, j'espère que ce n'est rien de trop sérieux. |
| Of course, I researched it well, it's 525 metres. | Bien sûr, j'ai fait des recherches, elle mesure 525 mètres. |
| Why do you think it's weird? | Pourquoi penses-tu que c'est bizarre ? |