







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hmm.. I think it's overdue. | Hmm.. Ich denke er ist abgelaufen. |
| Oh f*ck, what kind of tap is this? | Oh verd*mmt. Was für eine Art von Wasserhahn ist das? |
| Well, maybe we can get a 2 bedroom flat. What do you think? | Nun, vielleicht können wir in eine Zweizimmerwohnung ziehen. Was denkst du? |
| I don't want to live in the suburbs! | Ich möchte nicht in den Vororten leben! |
| Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | Ich wusste es. Ich bin mir sicher sie zahlen viel weniger. |
| Yes, I still don't do it. | Ja, ich mache das immer noch nicht. |
| Why is that? | Warum nicht? |
| But which button? It doesn't show which controls which! | Aber welcher Knopf? Man kann nicht sehen, welcher Knopf, was steuert! |
| Mike! You can't use people's stuff without asking! | Mike! Du kannst nicht die Dinge von anderen nehmen, ohne sie zu fragen! |
| Hello Beatrix, it's me, Cate. | Hallo Beatrix, ich bin es, Cate. |
| Yes, that's the one. | Ja, genau die. |
| Oh, come on dear, I was just joking, you know that... | Oh komm schon, du weißt das ich nur Spaß mache... |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | Ich werde aber Australien besuchen, sobald Teleportation erfunden wird. |
| That one is a single room, I want a double. | Das hat nur ein Zimmer, aber ich möchte eines mit zwei haben. |
| That's nice, I like the music and the lyrics. | Das ist schön. Ich mag die Musik und den Text. |
| Is that what you want me to do? | Willst du, dass ich das mache? |
| It seems there is no one in the house! | Es scheint niemand zu Hause zu sein! |
| Anyway, the flight situation is a bit complicated. | Jedenfalls ist die Flugsituation etwas kompliziert. |
| There is a little market near the school. | Es gibt einen kleinen Markt in der Nähe der Schule. |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | Und zweitens, Tierärzte sind so teuer! |