







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 | |
|---|---|
| But we have to be quick, I don't have much time. | Mais on doit se dépêcher, je n'ai pas beaucoup de temps. |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | Tu veux que je fasse autre chose? |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Très bien, je pense que je sais qui sait... |
| Welcome to the Diamond Duck, do you have a reservation, sir? | Bienvenue au Diamond Duck , avez-vous une réservation, monsieur ? |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | Et la première c'est laver la vaiselle et nettoyer? |
| No, they live in Australia. | Non, ils habitent en Australie. |
| How is it my fault? | Comment ça c'est de ma faute ? |
| What’s their name? | Comment s'appelle-t-il ? |
| My rent is monthly, I pay £600 per month. | Je paye mensuellement, 600£ par mois. |
| Yes, I still don't do it. | Oui, je ne le fais toujours pas. |
| He's a... Sorry Mike, what do you do? | Il est... désolé Mike, que faites-vous ? |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Mais Tesco est plus grand, ils ont une plus grande diversité de produits. |
| Mike! You can't use people's stuff without asking! | Mike! Tu ne peux pas utiliser les affaires des autres sans demander! |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | Tu peux rester avec moi jusqu'à ce que tu trouves où aller. |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | Je ne sais pas, peut-être que ça aide un peu! |
| I took Bear out and I'm just about to leave. | J'ai pris Bear et je suis sur le point de partir. |
| Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | Salut chérie, comment ça va, t'as besoin d'aide ? |
| No, it's not okay, I'm screwed now! | Non, tout va mal, je suis coincé maintenant! |
| Anyway, do you live around here, too? | Peu importe, vivez-vous prèt d'ici ? |
| Yeah, it's better not to fully fill the bath, it leaks downstairs. | Oui, c'est mieux de ne pas la remplir complètement, elle fuit à l'étage d'en dessous. |