







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you like train rides, too? | Aimez-vous les voyages en train aussi ? |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mon mari et moi sommes vraiment contents. |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Hé, l'eau bout, tu veux que je la verse dans une casserole? |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | Parce que d'autres personnes se plaignent de moi fumant là-bas. |
| What's the time, are we early? | Quelle heure est-il, on est en avance? |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | Okay, ce qui est en promotion a 20% de réduction aujourd'hui. |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | A l'étage, il y a Diégo et un couple Britannique à côté. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | Et la première c'est laver la vaiselle et nettoyer? |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | Est-ce que quelqu'un d'autre veut quelque chose à boire ? |
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | Du coup, Pogo ne craint pas les chiens. |
| I don't mind sitting outside as long as I'm not cold. | Ça me dérange pas de m'asseoir dehors, tant que je n'ai pas froid. |
| Which appointment? Do you mean the house in Angel? | Quel rendez-vous? Tu veux dire la maison à Angel? |
| 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? |
| Well, maybe we can get a 2 bedroom flat. What do you think? | Bien, peut-être que nous pourrions avoir un appartement avec deux chambres. Qu'en penses-tu ? |
| I wear some of them, can I check them when I get back? | J'en porte quelques uns, je peux les regarder lorsque je reviendrai ? |
| I think 4000 quid is big enough. | Je crois que 4000 livres c'est déjà pas mal. |
| I wake up and make my bed, then tidy my room. | Je me réveille, je vais mon lit et je range ma chambre. |
| How are things going, is everything ok? | Comment les choses se passent-ils, tout va bien? |
| Hmm, I like pop, rock, funk. | Heu, j'aime la pop, le rock et le funk. |