







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 | |
|---|---|
| But everybody calls him Rocco. | Aber jeder nennt ihn Rocco. |
| Let me check... Yes, there are some plates. | Lass mich mal schauen... Ja, es gibt ein paar Teller. |
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | Du kannst mich alles fragen, was du wissen möchtest. |
| But on the ad it says the house is fully furnished! | Aber in der Anzeige steht, dass das Haus voll möbliert ist! |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | Ich habe einen Termin beim Innenministerium wegen der Verlängerung meines Visums. |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Speck mit Eiern und ein paar Oliven reichen mir aus. |
| Hmm, I guess it's a bit old, but it's still my favourite. | Hmm, ich denke er ist etwas alt, aber trotzdem mein Lieblingsfilm. |
| What do you think, dear, do you like it, too? | Was denkst du Schatz, magst du es auch? |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | Es gibt noch viele andere, aber ich denke gumtree.com ist die beste Seite. |
| I really don't want to see her again! | Ich möchte sie wirklich nicht wiedersehen! |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | Stimmt. Ich denke Dampfdrucktöpfe sind auch ziemlich gefährlich! |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | Und zweitens, Tierärzte sind so teuer! |
| It sounds like a good deal. | Das hört sich nach einem guten Deal an. |
| But sometimes I feel guilty not being there! | Aber manchmal fühle ich mich schuldig, dass ich nicht dort bin! |
| I think so, at least there is no aggression. | Ich denke schon. Zumindest gibt es keine Aggression. |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Sollen wir uns an der Haltestelle treffen oder soll ich dich zu Hause abholen? |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | Es ist nicht viel weniger... Es ist nur eine kleine Differenz! |
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | Stimmt, es ist ein ziemlich großes Land. Eher wie ein Kontinent. |
| I don't want to live in the suburbs! | Ich möchte nicht in den Vororten leben! |
| How much are they supposed to pay? | Wie viel müssen sie dir zahlen? |