







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 | |
|---|---|
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | Mon père est Britannique et ma mère est Australienne. |
| You are very funny mate. | T'es très drôle gars. |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | Et ça, c'est ma petite amie, Cate. |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | Non, je ne sais pas ce qu'il y a dans ton frigo. |
| Anyway, you only have 10 days left to leave that house. | Bref, tu n'as que 10 jours pour quitter la maison. |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | Je ne pense pas que nous allons la payer. |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Exactement, donc penses-tu que les escargots sont des insectes ou non ? |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | Ce genre de personnes irresponsables m'énervent! |
| Do you have any area in mind? | As-tu une idée en tête ? |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | Eh bien, je suis habituée aux mauvais nouvelles aujourd'hui, qu'y a-t-il? |
| I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | Je suis désolé mais c'est rien d'exceptionnel. |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | Normalement, les filles regardent la liste de vins pendant une demie heure avant de commander quoi que ce soit. |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | Qu’aurais-je pu faire d'autre? Tu t'attends à ce que je ne dorme plus jusqu'à ce que je meure? |
| Thank you, dear... For helping me to be a liar! | Merci, chéri... De m'avoir aidé à être une menteuse ! |
| Look, there is a shop assistant. | Regarde, il y a un assistant. |
| Oh sorry dear, my husband has some difficulties hearing... | Oh, désolé mon cher, mon mari à des difficultés pour entendre... |
| Oh, I think I know them. | Oh, je crois que je sais ce que c'est. |
| Don't worry, we don't do it everyday. | Ne t'en fais pas, nous ne le faisons pas tous les jours. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | Oui, c'est une bonne idée. |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Bonjour les gars, vous devez être Cate, je suis Joseph. |