







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 | |
|---|---|
| Because we know them and have their mobile numbers? | Weil wir sie kennen und ihre Handynummern haben? |
| Here you can take it, be careful, it's very hot. | Hier, du kannst ihn dir nehmen, aber sei vorsichtig, er ist sehr heiß. |
| No, I'm a real estate agent. | Nein, ich bin ein Immobilienmakler. |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | Australien hat sehr strikte Zollvorschriften. |
| Okay, how much salt do you want me to add? | Okay, wie viel Salz soll ich hinzufügen? |
| I think so, at least there is no aggression. | Ich denke schon. Zumindest gibt es keine Aggression. |
| Let me check, we only need butter. | Lass mich kurz nachsehen. Wir brauchen nur noch Butter. |
| Oh, your girlfriend's cat... Does she live here with you? | Oh, die Katze deiner Freundin... Lebt sie hier mit dir? |
| We all love bank holidays. | Wir alle lieben Bankfeiertage. |
| So does that mean you don't want to stay with me? | Bedeutet das also, dass du nicht länger hierbleiben möchtest? |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Hallo Mike, ganz gut und dir? |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Ja, das ist normal. Er faucht manchmal sogar meine neuen Socken an! |
| Can you stop acting like I always ask for money? | Kannst du aufhören so zu tun, al ob ich immer nach Geld fragen würde? |
| The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | Das Rezept stammt nicht aus dem Internet. Es ist aus einem Jamie Oliver Buch. |
| What's the time, are we early? | Wie spät ist es? Sind wir zu früh? |
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | Leider habe ich keinen! Wo ist deiner? |
| It's like, the bus you are waiting for never comes. | Es ist so wie; der Bus auf den du wartest, kommt nie. |
| What's the reason for the cancellation this time? | Was ist diesmal der Grund dafür? |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Okay, abgemacht! Du hast 3 Tage ab jetzt, um darüber nachzudenken! |
| My cat is in the garden. | Mein Kater ist im Garten. |