







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 hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | Oh bonjour... J'ai oublié de le dire, il s'agit également d'un événement très spécial... |
| I am half-British and half-Australian. | Je suis moitié Britannique moitié Australienne. |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Je ne pense pas que ce soit normal, et toi? |
| I think I deserve a kiss... | Je pense que je mérite un bisou... |
| Hey, we are back. | Salut, nous sommes de retour. |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | Pourquoi? Il a l'air plutôt propre! |
| No, it doesn't look clean, do you want me to clean it? | Non, il n'a pas l'air propre, tu veux que je le nettoie? |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Le chat de qui?... Tu veux dire mon chat? |
| I am 24. | J'ai 24 ans. |
| Where is Flora, isn't she here? | Où est Flora, n'est-elle pas là? |
| It's the second one from the top. | C'est le deuxième en partant du haut. |
| Are there any fries or any kind of snacks? | Y a-t-il des frites ou quelque chose à grignotter ? |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Donc veux-tu que je trouve une maison de moi-même ? |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | Heu, oh oui, je peux le voir maintenant, le numéro d'annonce est le 9845... |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Salut Mike, pas vraiment, et toi? |
| Yes, that's the one. | Oui c'est celui-là. |
| Hello, is that Cate? | Salut, c'est Cate? |
| Do we have a sieve? | Est-ce qu'on a une passoire? |
| Hmm.. yes, I need mushrooms, stock, celery... | Hmm...oui, j'ai besoin de champignon, de bouillon, de céleri,... |
| When you stop believing we can get a house in Mayfair for 2,400! | Lorsque tu arrêteras de croire qu'on peut avoir une maison à Mayfair pour 2400 ! |