







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, it's better not to fully fill the bath, it leaks downstairs. | Ja, es ist besser wenn Sie die Badewanne nicht ganz vollmachen. Sie leckt ins Erdgeschoss. |
| It's almost 09:30. | Es ist fast 09:30 Uhr. |
| But it has expired and it has a hole in it. | Aber er ist abgelaufen und die Packung hat ein Loch. |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Hallo Mike, ganz gut und dir? |
| There is no table for you, then! | Dann gibt es keinen Tisch für dich! |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | Das wäre großartig! Denkst du, dass das möglich ist? |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Hallo, es tut mir leid, dass ich ein bisschen spät dran bin. |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | Ich bin ein bisschen müde und sehr hungrig. |
| I want to be sober and energetic for tomorrow. | Ich möchte nüchtern und voller Energie für morgen sein. |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Okay, abgemacht! Du hast 3 Tage ab jetzt, um darüber nachzudenken! |
| We call it a sixth sense! | Wir nennen es den sechsten Sinn! |
| What's up? Is everything okay? | Was ist los? Ist alles okay? |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Wessen Katze?... Meinst du meine Katze? |
| I know, I thought you might like to have it with her alone. | Ich weiß, aber ich dachte du würdest gerne mit ihr alleine frühstücken. |
| That's why they're 50% off. | Deswegen sind sie 50% günstiger. |
| 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. |
| He looks like he is interested in you! | Es scheint so, als ob er an dir interessiert wäre! |
| Do we have any paper towels? | Haben wir irgendwelches Küchenpapier? |
| But before we go, can you call them and ask if they are okay with pets? | Aber kannst du sie vorher anrufen und fragen, ob sie mit Haustieren einverstanden sind? |
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | Und er sieht jetzt ungefähr 3 Jahre alt aus. |