







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 | |
|---|---|
| No, I'm a real estate agent. | Nein, ich bin ein Immobilienmakler. |
| As far as I know, Chows are not good with other animals. | Soweit ich weiß kommen Chow-Chows nicht gut mit anderen Tieren zurecht. |
| I'm sure it's where it always is. | Ich bin mir sicher sie ist am üblichen Platz. |
| Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | Oder schlimmer noch, sie veranstalten eine Hausparty! |
| I don't think she wants to talk or solve anything! | Ich denke nicht, dass sie reden möchte oder irgendetwas lösen möchte! |
| But one of them is £2.44 and the other one is £1.22. | Aber eine Packung kostet £2,44 und die andere £1,22. |
| Do we have any paper towels? | Haben wir irgendwelches Küchenpapier? |
| How much are they supposed to pay? | Wie viel müssen sie dir zahlen? |
| And Pogo gets very scared of the crowd and the noise. | Und die Menschenmenge und die Geräusche erschrecken Pogo sehr. |
| But it has expired and it has a hole in it. | Aber er ist abgelaufen und die Packung hat ein Loch. |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Hast du irgendwelche Geschwister? |
| Good thanks, I'm fine, too. | Danke, mir geht es auch gut. |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | Ich habe keine Ahnung... Aber ich hoffe die Person hat einen guten Grund! |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | Nein, sie ist gottseidank absolut gesund. |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Ist Morrison's nicht näher? |
| My cat is in the garden. | Mein Kater ist im Garten. |
| To me, wasting it is weirder! | Für mich ist es eigenartiger sie zu verschwenden! |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Hallo Leute, du musst Cate sein, ich bin Joseph. |
| Do you want me to call them? | Soll ich sie anrufen? |
| Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | Hallo Leute, wäre es möglich etwas leiser zu sein? |