







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 think that *hand caught on fire* thing is a joke! | Ich denke diese Sache mit "der Hand die Feuer fing" ist ein Witz! |
| Well, one of them is 2,800, but bills are not included... | Nun, eines kostet 2800, aber die Nebenkosten sind nicht inklusive... |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | Ich werde aber Australien besuchen, sobald Teleportation erfunden wird. |
| I took Bear out and I'm just about to leave. | Ich war mit Bear draußen und bin gerade dabei zu gehen. |
| I am alone till my friend comes. | Ich bin alleine, bis mein Freund kommt. |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | Wie kann er es wagen... Er ist so dumm!!! |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | Nein, sie ist gottseidank absolut gesund. |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | Sie ist halb Japanerin, halb Australierin. |
| I haven't seen her, either, and I don't really want to... | Ich habe sie auch nicht gesehen und ich möchte das auch nicht wirklich... |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Ist Morrison's nicht näher? |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | Hast du irgendwelche Geschwister? |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Speck mit Eiern und ein paar Oliven reichen mir aus. |
| I'm sorry guys, there is no negotiation on the rent! | Es tut mir Leid Leute, aber die Miete ist nicht verhandelbar! |
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | Sieht gut aus. Ich denke ich mag das Haus sehr! |
| It's not a nice thing to do. | Das ist aber nicht nett. |
| I don't think you really want me to stay here anymore! | Ich denke du willst nicht wirklich, dass ich länger hier bleibe! |
| Nope, as I said before, they live in Australia. | Nein, wie ich schon erwähnt habe, leben sie in Australien. |
| Are they older or younger? | Sind sie jünger oder älter? |
| How do you get to Brighton? | Wie kommst du nach Brighton? |
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | Und er sieht jetzt ungefähr 3 Jahre alt aus. |