







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 | |
|---|---|
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | Das ist schön... Ich hoffe sie ist kein Teenager! Wie alt ist sie? |
| Do you remember the pub's name? | Erinnerst du dich an den Namen des Pubs? |
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | Und er sieht jetzt ungefähr 3 Jahre alt aus. |
| I prefer red onions. | Ich bevorzuge rote Zwiebeln. |
| They weigh everything at the checkout. | Sie wiegen alles an der Kasse. |
| Nope, it gives me a headache! | Nein, davon bekomme ich Kopfschmerzen! |
| Well, that's another problem! | Nun, das ist ein weiteres Problem! |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | Ich werde aber Australien besuchen, sobald Teleportation erfunden wird. |
| No, it's the owner, she is an old lady and very strict about that. | Nein, es liegt an der Hausbesitzerin. Sie ist eine alte Dame und sie ist sehr strikt in diesem Punkt. |
| Because I don't want to waste more time finding a new house... | Weil ich nicht mehr Zeit damit verschwenden möchten ein neues Haus zu finden... |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh wirklich? Das ist nicht gut. |
| That's why the rent is much lower than average. | Deswegen ist die Miete auch viel niedriger als im Durchschnitt. |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Öhm, ich komme nicht drauf. Ich denke, es sind mehr als 150 Jahre. |
| Anyway, you only have 10 days left to leave that house. | Egal, du hast also 10 Tage Zeit das Haus zu verlassen. |
| Do you want me to put it in the bin? | Soll ich sie in den Müll werfen? |
| Ah, I can't eat the breast, it's too dry for me! | Ah, ich kann die Brust nicht essen. Sie ist mir zu trocken! |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Hallo gnädige Frau, sind Sie immer noch da? |
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | Ja, ihm geht es richtig gut, nachdem er sich eine Weile ausgeruht hat. |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | Hast du irgendwelche Geschwister? |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | Du klingst wie eine Mischung aus britisch und australisch. |