







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Oui, ça a l'air plus logique dans ce cas là. |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | Erm... Ils payent 170 par semaine. |
| Is it hay fever? I've got some pills for it! | C'est le rhume des foins? J'ai quelques pilules pour soigner ça! |
| And Pogo gets very scared of the crowd and the noise. | Et Pogo a très peur à cause de la foule et du bruit. |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | J'aimerais y aller, le jour où ils inventent la téléportation. |
| Which appointment? Do you mean the house in Angel? | Quel rendez-vous? Tu veux dire la maison à Angel? |
| Welcome to the Diamond Duck, do you have a reservation, sir? | Bienvenue au Diamond Duck , avez-vous une réservation, monsieur ? |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Mais Tesco est plus grand, ils ont une plus grande diversité de produits. |
| I hope he gets well soon. | J'espère qu'il récupérera rapidement. |
| I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | J'ai besoin de persil, mais ils ne semblent pas frais. |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | Oui, c'était assez facile en fait, j'habite pas loin. |
| How is your mum, does she have any health problems? | Comment va ta mère, a-t-elle des problèmes de santé? |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | Il a 70 ans, et ma mère en a 64. |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Est-ce que votre chien est un Chow Chow ? |
| Really? Sade is one of my favourites, too. | Vraiment ? Sade est l'un de mes groupes favoris aussi. |
| My friend noted here it is your wedding anniversary! | Mon ami a noté ici que c'était votre anniversaire de mariage ! |
| As I said, it's much easier to open with two people. | Comme je l'avais dit, c'est plus facile de l'ouvrir à deux. |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | C'est tellement triste, quel âge ont tes parents? |
| The recipe is for 6 people. | La recette est pour 6 personnes. |
| How is your cat? | Comment va votre chat ? |