Le présent simple
On utilise le présent simple pour parler de:
- ses habitudes: Every day I get up at 6.30, then I have breakfast.
- caractéristiques propres à quelqu'un ou quelque chose: She likes swimming. They want to go toAustralia. You play tennis very well.
- vérités générales: The sun sets in the West. Water boils at 100°.
A la forme affirmative, on forme le présent simple à l'aide de la base verbale. Il faut ajouter un -S à la troisième personne du singulier.
It rains a lot in Scotland. He sings very well. She travels a lot.
A la forme négative et à la forme négative, il faut l'auxiliaire Do. C'est lui qui porte le -s de la 3ème personne du singulier.
| Forme Affirmative | Forme négative | Forme interrogative |
| I go to bed at 11. | Do I go to bed at 11? | I don't go to bed at 11. |
| You go to bed at 11. | Do you go to bed at 11? | You don't go to bed at 11. |
| He/ She/It goes to bed at 11. | Does he /she/ it go to bed at 11? | He/She/It doesn't go to bed at 11. |
| We go to bed at 11. | Do we go to bed at 11? | We don't go to bed at 11. |
| You go to bed at 11. | Do you go to bed at 11? | You don't go to bed at 11. |
| They go to bed at 11. | Do they go to bed at 11? | They don't go to bed at 11. |
Attention! Si le verbe se termine par-s, -x, -sh, -ch, ou encore -o comme ici, on ajoute -es à la 3ème personne du singulier.
You miss your girlfriend. - He misses his girlfriend.
You fix the car. - He fixes the car.
You brush your teeth. He brushes his teeth.
You watch TV. - He watches TV.
You go to school. He goes to school.