







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 | |
|---|---|
| And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | C'est difficile à croire mais il est propre. |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Est-ce que votre chien est un Chow Chow ? |
| I don't think she wants to talk or solve anything! | Je ne penses pas qu'elle voudra résoudre quoi que ce soit! |
| Well, instead of chicken you can try the duck, it's yummy! | Bien, à la place du poulet tu pourrais essayer le canard, c'est bon ! |
| Why is that? | Et pourquoi? |
| What line is it on? | Quelle ligne il y a-t-il dessus ? |
| I've found 2, too, there aren't many options in Camden Lock. | J'en ai trouvé 2 également, il n'y a pas beaucoup d'options à Camden Lock. |
| I am alone till my friend comes. | Je suis seul jusqu'à ce que mon ami arrive. |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | Normalement, les filles regardent la liste de vins pendant une demie heure avant de commander quoi que ce soit. |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | Merci, j'ai 26 ans. |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | Pogo est mon petit chat, y'a-t-il un problème? |
| Sorry, I hope it doesn't ruin your childhood memories... | Pardon, J'espère que ça ne ruine pas tes souvenirs d'enfance... |
| Sorry, the line is very bad! | Désolé, la ligne est très mauvaise! |
| Plus the bathroom and the kitchen are clean. | En plus, la cuisine et la salle de bain sont propres. |
| What's the date today? | Quel jour sommes nous? |
| The rice section is over there. | Le rayon des riz est ici. |
| Do you have another one? | Tu en as une autre? |
| Eating leftovers during the week saves me some time. | Manger des restes pendant la semaine me fait gagner du temps. |
| The other one is 3,000, but includes all bills. | L'autre est à 3000, mais cela inclut les factures. |
| He is a Chow Chow. | C'est un Chow Chow. |