







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 | |
|---|---|
| How is there four of us? | Inwiefern sind wir zu viert? |
| Hmm.. yes, we get on really well. | Hmm... ja, wir verstehen uns wirklich gut. |
| How much garlic do you want? | Wie viel Knoblauch brauchst du? |
| I am planning to sleep in a bit since it's a holiday. | Ich plane ein bisschen auszuschlafen, da es ein Feiertag ist. |
| Welcome to the Diamond Duck, do you have a reservation, sir? | Willkommen zum Diamond Duck. Haben Sie eine Reservierung mein Herr? |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | Mein Meeting beginnt um 13 Uhr. |
| I don't know, probably put it in the bin. | Keine Ahnung. Sie wahrscheinlich in die Mülltonne werfen. |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | Ja, Bear isst jeden Tag eineinhalb Katzen zum Frühstück. |
| Nothing, 'cause I don't know what the woman looks like. | Nichts, weil ich nicht weiß wie die Frau aussieht. |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | Normalerweise lesen Mädchen eine halbe Stunde lang die Weinkarte, bevor sie bestellen. |
| We don't have that system in Brighton yet. | Wir haben dieses System noch nicht in Brighton. |
| Do you mean the guy with the beard? | Meinst du den Kerl mit dem Bart? |
| It's always the same. | Es ist immer dasselbe. |
| What's your plan, Cate? | Was ist dein Plan, Cate? |
| Is that what you want me to do? | Willst du, dass ich das mache? |
| There is no table for you, then! | Dann gibt es keinen Tisch für dich! |
| Is she here with you? | Lebt sie hier mit dir? |
| Yes, he is one of them. | Ja genau, er ist einer davon. |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Ja, es ist tatsächlich sehr wichtig für mich. |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Ich denke nicht, dass das normal ist. Denkst du, dass das normal ist? |