







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 | |
|---|---|
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Sorry, ich habe vergessen zu erwähnen, dass man den Wasserhahn sehr vorsichtig aufdrehen muss. |
| But sometimes I feel guilty not being there! | Aber manchmal fühle ich mich schuldig, dass ich nicht dort bin! |
| Do you have any area in mind? | Hast du einen Stadtteil im Sinn? |
| Do you want me to get you a glass of wine? | Soll ich dir ein Glas Wein holen? |
| I've got a meeting with some people. | Ich habe ein Meeting mit ein paar Leuten. |
| Yes, I think she's great! | Ja, ich denke sie ist großartig! |
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | Natürlich, ich denke 2 Tomaten reichen aus. |
| You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | Du hast recht, er ist wahrscheinlich mehr als eine Zigarette wert. |
| But I think that's only for older women. | Aber ich denke das gilt nur für ältere Frauen. |
| I am 24. | Ich bin 24. |
| But maybe they are splitting up, I don't know yet. | Aber vielleicht trennen sie sich. Bisher weiß ich es aber nicht. |
| Don't worry Diego, it's not related to you! | Keine Sorge Diego, es geht nicht um dich! |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 Grad sollte passen. |
| Look, there is a shop assistant. | Schau, dort ist ein Verkäufer. |
| I am alone till my friend comes. | Ich bin alleine, bis mein Freund kommt. |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Du weißt, dass morgen mein letzter Tag ist. |
| How is it my fault? | Wie ist es meine Schuld? |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | Gibt es ein Problem mit dem Akku deines Telefons? |
| Erm... You look about 30? | Hm.... Ungefähr 30? |
| It's more than enough, I need some garlic, also. | Das ist mehr als genug. Ich brauche auch etwas Knoblauch. |