







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 | |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | J'aimerais y aller, le jour où ils inventent la téléportation. |
| I am planning to sleep in a bit since it's a holiday. | J'avais pour intention de domir un peu vu que c'est un jour férié. |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Est-ce que votre chien est un Chow Chow ? |
| Don't you think it's too far away from the tube station? | Tu ne penses pas qu'elle est trop loin de la station de métro? |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | Peux-tu me montrer quels habits je dois déplacer ? |
| Sorry, the line is very bad! | Désolé, la ligne est très mauvaise! |
| The ones at the bottom look fresher. | Ceux du bas semblent plus frais. |
| I'm happy to hear that. | Je suis heureux de l'entendre. |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | Je suis d'accord, les longs vols ne sont pas ma tasse de thé. |
| There is a little market near the school. | Il y a une petite boutique à côté de l'école. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | Et la première c'est laver la vaiselle et nettoyer? |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Heu... Nous sommes mariés... Je veux dire, aujourd'hui c'est l'anniversaire de notre mariage ! |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | C'est comme sur la pub. |
| Huh, it's quite good money! | Oh, c'est pas mal d'argent! |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Morrison n'est-il pas plus près? |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Je n'ai aucune idée de ce que le riz arborio est! |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Ouais, c'est normal, il feule même quand j'achète de nouvelles chaussettes! |
| Yes, it might be, but I'm very busy with some projects these days. | Oui, je pense, mais je suis très occupé par d'autres projets ces temps ci. |
| I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | Je suis désolé mais c'est rien d'exceptionnel. |