







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | Ja, ich mag es Lasagne einen Tag nach der Zubereitung zu essen. Sie schmeckt besser. |
| Is it big money? | Geht es um viel Geld? |
| 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? |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Du musst auf den Knopf drücken und ihn nach rechts drehen. |
| Nothing, 'cause I don't know what the woman looks like. | Nichts, weil ich nicht weiß wie die Frau aussieht. |
| Do they weigh them here or at the checkout? | Werden sie hier gewogen oder an der Kasse? |
| No, I don't have one! | Nein, ich habe keine! |
| Actually, it's quite urgent for me. | Eigentlich ist es ziemlich dringend für mich. |
| Who knows, I consider it as nothing more than a hobby. | Wer weiß, ich sehe es nur als Hobby. |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | Oh Gott, ich fühle mich jetzt zu müde. |
| He also wants to increase our rent by 50%! | Er will auch unsere Miete um 50% erhöhen! |
| But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | Aber ich glaube nicht, dass ich alle verwenden kann. Es sind zu viele! |
| But... I'm not good at lying... | Aber... Ich bin nicht gut im Lügen... |
| No, it's not mine, I think it belongs to the house. | Nein, er gehört nicht mir. Er gehört allen im Haus. |
| I hope it's not related to me! | Ich hoffe es geht nicht um mich! |
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | Klar, es sind 4 Mädchen. Alle vier sind Studenten aus Deutschland. |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Hallo Leute, du musst Cate sein, ich bin Joseph. |
| Because I'm sure they don't serve bugs in London! | Weil ich mir sicher bin, dass sie keine Käfer in London servieren! |
| The recipe is for 6 people. | Das Rezept ist für 6 Personen. |
| Yes, it is, but yours isn't so obvious. | Ja, ist es. Aber bei dir ist es nicht so offensichtlich. |