







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 | |
|---|---|
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | Oh mon dieu, je suis trop fatiguée là. |
| Umm, Dick is here, dear, he is the landlord... | Umm, c'est Dick ma chérie, le propriétaire... |
| It's all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | Tout est à propos de mon chaton, Pogo. |
| Look at the shelf, the price tag says £2.20 a kilo. | Regarde sur l'étagère, le prix indique 2.20 livres le kilo. |
| The other one is 3,000, but includes all bills. | L'autre est à 3000, mais cela inclut les factures. |
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | Oh non ! Êtes-vous sûr qu'il n'y a rien d'autre de disponible ? |
| What’s their name? | Comment s'appelle-t-il ? |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | Oui, Bear mange un chat et demi par jour pour son petit déjeuner. |
| As they say, time is the best medicine. | Comme ils disent, le temps est le meilleur des médicaments. |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Salut Mike, pas vraiment, et toi? |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Donc, c'est évident que tu n'as aucune idée du prix du loyer d'un maison. |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | C'est mon petit ami, Mike. |
| I guess mine is older than yours! | Je pense que le mien est plus vieux que le tiens ! |
| Okay, so do you want me to make 3 serves? | Okay, du coup veux-tu que j'en fasse pour 3? |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Tu as des frères ou des soeurs? |
| Then people come and complain to me! | Et les gens viennent se plaindre! |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | Je ne pense pas que nous allons la payer. |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | Peu importe, je dois aller au petit coin également... |
| Yeah, I've got it! | Ouais, je l'ai! |
| Don't worry, I don't like having a very heavy breakfast. | Ne t'inquiête pas, je n'aime pas prendre de lourds petits déjeuners. |