







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 ? |
| How old are you? | Quel âge avez-vous ? |
| 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 ! |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | Veux-tu que j'aille lui dire que tu es là? |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | Ce genre de personnes irresponsables m'énervent! |
| I like girls' nights out. | J'aime les soirées entre filles. |
| I mean, do you cook Asian or other kinds of cuisines? | Je veux dire, tu prépares de la nouriture Asiatique ou d'autres pays? |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Donc veux-tu que je trouve une maison de moi-même ? |
| 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? |
| I don't know, probably put it in the bin. | Je ne sais pas, probablement jeté à la poubelle. |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | Okay, nous voilà, c'est Honeybrook Street. |
| The rice section is over there. | Le rayon des riz est ici. |
| How old do I look? | Quel âge pensez-vous que j'ai ? |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Veuillez m'excuser, j'ai besoin d'aller aux toilettes. |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Ce n'est pas pour moi, c'est pour le riz chéri! |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Il n'y a-t-il pas quatre d'entre nous chéri ? |
| Well, I don't think we need to cook too many things at once. | Eh bien, je ne pense pas qu'on a besoin de préparer plein de choses à la fois. |
| Okay, the total is £36.74, sir. | Okay, le montant est de 36.74 livres monsieur. |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | C'est vrai! Combien coûte ton loyer? |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Salut Mike, pas vraiment, et toi? |