







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 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... |
| Thank you again for giving me your turn. | Danke nochmals, dass du mich vorgelassen hast. |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | Manchmal erkennt er nicht mal meine Mutter. |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | Warte mal, ich erinnere mich, dass du gesagt hast, dass du nie Tiere tötest! |
| Where is your school, is it in central London? | Wo ist deine Schule? Liegt sie im Zentrum von London? |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | Ich koche meistens Fleisch-, Fisch- und Hühnchengerichte. |
| I don't think you really want me to stay here anymore! | Ich denke du willst nicht wirklich, dass ich länger hier bleibe! |
| That's right, we should never forget how irresponsible my housemates are. | Stimmt, wir sollten niemals vergessen, wie unverantwortlich meine Mitbewohner sind. |
| Umm, you can tell them it's our wedding anniversary. | Ähm, du kannst ihnen sagen, dass es unser Hochzeitsjubiläum ist. |
| Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | Ja, Sie können sich an diesen Tisch setzen. |
| But sometimes I feel guilty not being there! | Aber manchmal fühle ich mich schuldig, dass ich nicht dort bin! |
| What's your plan, Cate? | Was ist dein Plan, Cate? |
| I think I did, too, but I've got a really bad headache! | Ich denke ich habe auch gut geschlafen, aber ich habe schlimme Kopfschmerzen! |
| It's all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | Es geht ausschließlich um meine kleine Liebe Katze Pogo. |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | Ich weiß nicht. Vielleicht ein bisschen! |
| Hello, I'm sorry, but there is no chardonnay left, Cate. | Hallo, es tut mir leid, aber es ist kein Chardonnay mehr übrig Cate. |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Er ist nicht für mich, sondern für den Reis mein Lieber! |
| Yeah, and the market is good, is Camden Lock in zone-2 or 3? | Ja und der Markt ist gut. Ist Camden Lock in Zone 2 oder 3? |
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Bist du sicher, dass sie aus Australien kommt? |
| Girls, this is Diego. | Mädels, das ist Diego. |