







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 | |
|---|---|
| 5 bedroom detached house on Lyme Street, £2,800, is that right? | Einzelhaus mit 5 Schlafzimmern in der Lyme Street für £2800, richtig? |
| I don't like violence in real life, I only like it in movies. | Ich mag keine Gewalt im echten Leben, ich mag sie nur in Filmen. |
| Here you can take it, be careful, it's very hot. | Hier, du kannst ihn dir nehmen, aber sei vorsichtig, er ist sehr heiß. |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Vielleicht hat sie wirklich eine Allergie gegen Katzen. Das wissen wir nicht. |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | Das ist schön... Ich hoffe sie ist kein Teenager! Wie alt ist sie? |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | Sie ist halb Japanerin, halb Australierin. |
| That's true! How much is your rent? | Stimmt! Wie hoch ist deine Miete? |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Echt? Wie wecke ich dich auf? |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | Vielen Dank, ich bin 26. |
| Mike, teriyaki is Japanese, we are at a Chinese restaurant. | Mike, Teriyaki ist japanisch. Wir sind in einem chinesischen Restaurant. |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | Gibt es Brot zum toasten? |
| Because I'm sure they don't serve bugs in London! | Weil ich mir sicher bin, dass sie keine Käfer in London servieren! |
| Oh f*ck, what kind of tap is this? | Oh verd*mmt. Was für eine Art von Wasserhahn ist das? |
| What's wrong with him? | Was stimmt nicht mit ihm? |
| Is it big money? | Geht es um viel Geld? |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Ich kann ihn mitbringen, wenn ich wieder für's Frühstück herkomme. |
| Sorry, look, here is the station. | Sorry, schau, hier ist der Bahnhof. |
| What genre do you listen to? | Welche Musikrichtung hörst du? |
| That's a very interesting combination. | Das ist eine sehr interessante Kombination. |
| See you Mike, hope to see you again. | Tschüss Mike, ich hoffe man sieht sich wieder. |