







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, come on dear, I was just joking, you know that... | Oh, allez chéri, je rigolais, tu le sais bien... |
| What do you think, dear, do you like it, too? | Qu'est-ce que que tu en penses chéri, tu l'aimes bien aussi? |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | Parfois, il ne reconnaît même pas ma mère. |
| Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Bien sûr, mon nom est Cate et mon numéro est le 077... |
| Ah, I can't eat the breast, it's too dry for me! | Ah, je ne peux pas manger de blanc, c'est bien trop sec pour moi! |
| But their room is almost double the size of our room! | Mais leur chambre fait presque le double de la nôtre! |
| Actually, it's quite urgent for me. | En fait, c'est très urgent. |
| Hey, there is a stranger in the toilet, who is he? | Hé, il y a un inconnu dans les toilettes, c'est qui? |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | Merci Rocco, c'est bon pour l'instant. |
| Thank you very much! | Merci beaucoup ! |
| But sometimes I feel guilty not being there! | Mais parfois, je me sens coupable de ne pas être là! |
| To me, wasting it is weirder! | Pour moi, gaspiller c'est plus bizarre ! |
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | Pardon, ils ne servent pas de chips ici... |
| That's a good question! | C'est une bonne question ! |
| I hope he gets well soon. | J'espère qu'il récupérera rapidement. |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | Pogo est mon petit chat, y'a-t-il un problème? |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | Allez-vous souvent au Moulin à Vent ? |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Heu, soit dit en passant, tant qu'on est sur le sujet... |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mon mari et moi sommes vraiment contents. |
| You know, I usually have some early morning lessons. | Tu sais j'ai l'habitude de suivre des cours tôt le matin. |