







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you mean Rebecca and Cecilia? | Du meinst Rebecca und Cecilia? |
| Okay, I don't like cooking, but I like tasting food. | Okay, ich koche nicht gerne, aber ich probiere gerne Essen aus. |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Ich mag es auch nicht ins Krankenhaus zu gehen. |
| His name's Sergio. | Sein Name ist Sergio. |
| Does that help you to believe me? | Hilft dir das, mir zu glauben? |
| He just moved from Brighton and lives around here. | Er ist gerade erst aus Brighton hergezogen und lebt in der Nähe. |
| You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | Du hast recht, er ist wahrscheinlich mehr als eine Zigarette wert. |
| Hope to see you later. | Ich hoffe, ich sehe dich später. |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | Gibt es Brot zum toasten? |
| It's individually, the small ones are 30p, big ones 50p. | Er wird pro Stück verkauft. Die kleinen Knoblauchzwiebeln kosten 30p und die Großen 50p. |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | Es ist nicht viel weniger... Es ist nur eine kleine Differenz! |
| Yes, I have got two sisters. | Ja, ich habe zwei Schwestern. |
| Actually, it's quite urgent for me. | Eigentlich ist es ziemlich dringend für mich. |
| Bear's sitting here with me, his willy is out. | Bear sitzt hier mit mir. Sein Pimmel ist draußen. |
| I don't want to talk about this issue in this house. | Ich möchte darüber in diesem Haus nicht sprechen. |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | Ähm... Ich weiß ich schnarche manchmal. Schnarche ich jeden Tag? |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mein Mann und ich wissen das wirklich zu schätzen. |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | Du kannst bei mir wohnen bis du etwas neues findest. |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | Danke Rocco, das ist alles soweit. |
| No, it's the owner, she is an old lady and very strict about that. | Nein, es liegt an der Hausbesitzerin. Sie ist eine alte Dame und sie ist sehr strikt in diesem Punkt. |