







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 haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | Nein, habe ich nicht. Ich weiß nicht was dir im Kühlschrank gehört. |
| And the buses always arrive on time. | Und die Busse sind immer pünktlich. |
| Thank you very much! | Vielen Dank! |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | Hast du sorgfältig nachgeschaut? Gibt es überhaupt keins? |
| Where is Flora, isn't she here? | Wo ist Flora? Ist sie nicht hier? |
| Oh sorry, unfortunately, that one is reserved. | Oh, tut mir leid, aber dieser Tisch ist leider reserviert. |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Sorry, ich habe vergessen zu erwähnen, dass man den Wasserhahn sehr vorsichtig aufdrehen muss. |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | Gibt es ein Problem mit dem Akku deines Telefons? |
| What's up? Is everything okay? | Was ist los? Ist alles okay? |
| That's a perfect time to see a house... | Das ist die perfekte Uhrzeit um ein Haus zu besichtigen... |
| Then, I don't think we need to see the next one! | Dann denke ich wir müssen es uns nicht ansehen! |
| What else do we need? | Was brauchen wir sonst noch? |
| Oh hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | Oh hallo... Ich habe vergessen zu erwähnen, dass es auch ein ganz besonderer Anlass ist... |
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | Nein, ich lüge nicht! Ich lüge nie. |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | Willst sonst noch jemand etwas zu trinken haben? |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | Ja, es gibt auch ein paar Messer. |
| Does anyone else need anything? | Brauchst sonst noch irgendjemand etwas? |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | Das ist mein Freund Mike. |
| But Bear has got hip dysplasia. | Aber Bear hat eine Fehlbildung der Hüfte. |
| Congratulations, I wish you luck. | Glückwunsch, ich wünsche dir Glück! |