







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 | |
|---|---|
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Bist du sicher, dass sie aus Australien kommt? |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Wir sind zurück. Wo ist Bear? |
| Is there any other cat around? | Gibt es sonst noch eine andere Katze? |
| No, what is that? | Nein, was denn? |
| I'm really sorry, what kind of sickness is it? | Das tut mir wirklich leid. Was für eine Art Krankheit ist es? |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Hm.... Ungefähr 30? |
| Hello, I'm sorry, but there is no chardonnay left, Cate. | Hallo, es tut mir leid, aber es ist kein Chardonnay mehr übrig Cate. |
| I'm happy to hear we have similar music taste! | Es freut mich zu hören, dass wir einen ähnlichen Musikgeschmack haben! |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | Hi, ich denke nicht, dass es gebrochen ist. |
| It's about a web project. | Es geht um ein Internet-Projekt. |
| I'm sorry for not showing up at your opening. | Tut mir leid, dass ich bei der Eröffnung nicht da war. |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | Ich bin hungrig, aber es ist besser etwas zu essen, wenn wir die Jungs treffen. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | Was ist die Schlimmste? Den Abwasch machen oder saubermachen? |
| I think so, he can look around while Bear is not here. | Ich denke ja, damit er sich umschauen kann, solange Bear nicht hier ist. |
| What does Diego do? | Was arbeitet Diego? |
| You look a bit sad, are you okay? | Du siehst etwas trauring aus, geht es dir gut? |
| Depends on where you look. | Kommt darauf an, wo man sucht. |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | Ja, ich warte hier auf die guten Nachrichten. |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Sehr schön! Ich hoffe er macht das nicht die ganze Zeit! |
| I don't think it's a suitable movie for kids, dear. | Ich denke nicht, dass der Film für Kinder geeignet ist mein Lieber. |