







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 | |
|---|---|
| Sorry, look, here is the station. | Sorry, schau, hier ist der Bahnhof. |
| I think I've got a better idea about what to do with the bed! | Ich denke ich habe eine bessere Idee, was wir mit dem Bett machen können! |
| Is that what you want to do? | Möchtest du das? |
| Yes it is, how are you? | Ja, wie geht es dir? |
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | Nein, aber darauf habe ich Hunger... |
| How are things going, is everything ok? | Wie läufts, alles okay? |
| That's nice, what do you usually cook? | Nicht schlecht. Was kochst du normalerweise? |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Eine Wohnung ist keine gute Idee wegen Bear, da es keinen Garten gibt. |
| It's a double room plus we get a cleaner once a week. | Es ist ein Doppelzimmer und eine Putzfrau kommt einmal pro Woche. |
| Are you serious? | Ist das dein Ernst? |
| I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | Ich brauche etwas Petersilie, aber die sieht ein bisschen welk aus. |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | Oben leben Diego und ein britisches Paar daneben. |
| Is it really on the menu? | Steht das wirklich auf der Karte? |
| Yeah, he is keen on moving house... | Ja, er würde gerne ausziehen... |
| It sounds like a good deal. | Das hört sich nach einem guten Deal an. |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | Nein, wir gießen Pasta mit einer Reibe ab. |
| All of my work is in that laptop and I don't have any backup! | Meine ganze Arbeit ist auf dem Laptop und ich habe kein Backup! |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Sind wir nicht zu viert Schatz? |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalerweise kostet er viel mehr als die anderen. |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | Es ist so als ob etwas Böses in ihnen steckt! |