







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hmm... actually, we have to boil it. | Hmm... wir müssen es eigentlich kochen. |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | Ich mag ein paar Songs von Jamiroquai, aber nicht alle. |
| No, they live in Australia. | Nein, sie leben in Australien. |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | Du kannst bei mir wohnen bis du etwas neues findest. |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | Hi Mädels, das ist Mike. |
| Is it because it's too violent? | Weil zu viel Gewalt darin vorkommt? |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | Bear kommt mit Katzen klar, aber definitiv nicht mit Hunden. |
| You were explaining why you are here at 07:30 in the morning. | Du warst am erklären weshalb du um 7:30 Uhr morgens hier bist. |
| Erm, we don't have any, but there is someone else's bread. | Öhm, wir haben keins, aber es gibt Brot, das nicht mir gehört. |
| I haven't been there before, where is it? | Dort war ich noch nie zuvor. Wo ist das? |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | Es ist nicht viel weniger... Es ist nur eine kleine Differenz! |
| Do you have their number? | Hast du ihre Nummer? |
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | Und er sieht jetzt ungefähr 3 Jahre alt aus. |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | Ich sehe sie oft dort wo ich arbeite. |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Ja, ich denke Stechmücken zu töten ist fair. |
| I didn't say it's your fault, but it's your turn now... | Ich habe nicht gesagt, dass es deine Schuld ist, aber du bist jetzt dran... |
| It's the second one from the top. | Es ist der Zweite von oben. |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Warum gehst du nicht an dein Handy? |
| That's why they're 50% off. | Deswegen sind sie 50% günstiger. |
| Come on, don't cry, she is just a stupid girl! | Komm schon, weine nicht. Sie ist nur ein dummes Mädchen! |