







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 | |
|---|---|
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | 50% von 135 sind 67,50... Und insgesamt macht das 202,50. |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | Mein Meeting beginnt um 13 Uhr. |
| They are both okay for me. | Beide sind für mich okay. |
| Erm, sorry, but I think you have the wrong Mike... | Ähm Entschuldigung, aber ich denke Sie meinen einen anderen Mike... |
| Taking Bear out usually takes me an hour. | Mit Bear rauszugehen dauert normalerweise eine Stunde. |
| Okay, that's fine. | Okay, ist gut. |
| What kind of trick is that? | Welcher Trick denn? |
| Let me check... when is best for you? | Lassen Sie mich sehen... Wann passt es Ihnen am besten? |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | Hi Mädels, das ist Mike. |
| Why? What's wrong? | Warum, was stimmt nicht? |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | Eine ganze, ungeöffnete 500g Packung. |
| Yeah, the packet is ripped, but it's not overdue. | Ja, die Packung ist beschädigt, aber er ist noch nicht abgelaufen. |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Hm.... Ungefähr 30? |
| You are right, is there anything you want me to buy on the way? | Du hast Recht. Soll ich etwas unterwegs kaufen? |
| Hello, my name is Mike, I'm Cate's boyfriend... | Hallo, mein Name ist Mike. Ich bin der Freund von Cate... |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Nun, ich denke wir alle müssen bald gehen. |
| It sounds like a good deal. | Das hört sich nach einem guten Deal an. |
| Isn't it faster taking the tube? | Ist es nicht schneller mit der U-Bahn? |
| I wake up and make my bed, then tidy my room. | Ich wache auf und mache mein Bett und mache anschließend mein Zimmer sauber. |
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | Nein, ich lüge nicht! Ich lüge nie. |