







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 | |
|---|---|
| Oh f*ck off, I've got to go now... | Oh hau ab. Ich muss jetzt gehen... |
| Do you have another one? | Hast du ein anderes? |
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | Ich denke nicht, dass das nötig ist, da es alle 20 Minuten einen Zug gibt. |
| Anyway, you only have 10 days left to leave that house. | Egal, du hast also 10 Tage Zeit das Haus zu verlassen. |
| Thanks for being thoughtful, dear. | Danke, dass du rücksichtsvoll bist Schatz. |
| But on the ad it says the house is fully furnished! | Aber in der Anzeige steht, dass das Haus voll möbliert ist! |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | Meine reizende Frau erzählt mir immer wie gut ihre Frühlingsröllchen sind. |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | Ich koche meistens Fleisch-, Fisch- und Hühnchengerichte. |
| I don't believe you! What's the difference today? | Ich glaube dir nicht. Was ist diesmal anders? |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Das Produkt ist ein Jahr lang haltbar. |
| He is the bartender. | Er ist der Barkeeper. |
| I think we should wait for a while till all that smoke disappears. | Ich denke wir sollten warten, bis der ganze Rauch verschwunden ist. |
| Also, one of my friends works there. | Einer meiner Freunde arbeitet auch dort. |
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | Wer zum Teufel ist das? Wie spät ist es? |
| I took Bear out and I'm just about to leave. | Ich war mit Bear draußen und bin gerade dabei zu gehen. |
| 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? |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | Entschuldigung Frau Jones. Es gibt ein Missverständnis... |
| He also wants to increase our rent by 50%! | Er will auch unsere Miete um 50% erhöhen! |
| I mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | Ich meine, du siehst zu jung aus, um Lehrerin zu sein. |
| Isn't it faster taking the tube? | Ist es nicht schneller mit der U-Bahn? |