







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 | |
|---|---|
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | Du hebst nie die Häufchen von Bear vom Boden auf. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Übrigens die Kaution beträgt £3000 und ist nicht verhandelbar... |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | Sie haben auch drei große Fenster in ihrem Zimmer! |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | Hallo, haben Sie eine Tesco Clubkarte? |
| Anyway, my lesson is starting now, I have to go. | Wie auch immer, mein Unterricht beginnt jetzt. Ich muss auflegen. |
| Yeah, it's a very popular restaurant. | Ja, es ist ein sehr beliebtes Restaurant. |
| Do you have any area in mind? | Hast du einen Stadtteil im Sinn? |
| It's individually, the small ones are 30p, big ones 50p. | Er wird pro Stück verkauft. Die kleinen Knoblauchzwiebeln kosten 30p und die Großen 50p. |
| I'm calling him now then, do you want anything else? | Ich rufe ihn jetzt dann an. Willst du etwas anderes? |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | Und das ist meine Freundin Cate. |
| No worries, I am not together with Mike. | Kein Problem, ich bin nicht mit Mike zusammen. |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 Grad sollte passen. |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | Gehst du oft dahin? |
| I would like to... But I have other things to do... | Das würde ich gerne... Aber ich habe andere Dinge zu erledigen... |
| Excuse me ma'am, here is an undamaged packet of rice for you. | Entschuldigen Sie, hier ist eine unbeschädigte Packung Reis für Sie. |
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | Schau. Du kannst den Sonnenuntergang am besten von dieser Stelle aus betrachten. |
| And on the ground floor we have easy access to the garden. | Und im Erdgeschoss haben wir direkten Zugang zum Garten. |
| Well, maybe we can get a 2 bedroom flat. What do you think? | Nun, vielleicht können wir in eine Zweizimmerwohnung ziehen. Was denkst du? |
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Bist du sicher, dass sie aus Australien kommt? |
| Really? Sade is one of my favourites, too. | Echt? Sade gehört auch zu meinen Favoriten. |