







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 | |
|---|---|
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Quel type de musique aimes-tu le plus ? |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | C'est pas ouf mais c'est assez important que tu me le dises. |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | C'est vrai, je pense que les cocottes minutes sont dangeureuses aussi! |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Je suis vraiment impressionnée par l'architecture de cette gare. |
| I live very close by. | Je vis très proche d'ici. |
| So it comes to 2,800 a month! | Donc cela revient à 2800 par mois ! |
| Hi there, are you ready? | Salut, t'es prête? |
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | Oui, il va très bien après s'être reposé pendant un certain temps. |
| Oh, your girlfriend's cat... Does she live here with you? | Oh, le chat de ta petite amie... Elle habite ici aussi? |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | Non, j'ai de mauvaises allergies. |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Est-ce que votre chien est un Chow Chow ? |
| Right! Who wants chardonnay, then? | Bien ! Qui veut du Chardonney alors ? |
| I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | Je ne pense pas qu'il soit possible de trouver plus de configurations. |
| Yes, I think she's great! | Oui ! |
| Nope, it gives me a headache! | Non, j'en aurai la tête qui tourne ! |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | En ce moment, je suis plutôt remix des années 60 et 70. |
| So I want to cook as much as I can now. | Alors je veux préparer autant à manger que possible. |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Très bien, je pense que je sais qui sait... |
| Let me check, we only need butter. | Laisse-moi vérifier, nous n'avons seulement besoin que de beurre. |
| But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | Mais je ne pense pas pouvoir tous les utiliser, il y en a trop! |