







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 | |
|---|---|
| I mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | Ich meine, du siehst zu jung aus, um Lehrerin zu sein. |
| Do you know how to use them? | Weißt du wie man sie benutzt? |
| Hope to see you later. | Ich hoffe, ich sehe dich später. |
| He is the bartender. | Er ist der Barkeeper. |
| I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | Es tut mir Leid, aber ich kann mir manchmal Namen nicht merken! |
| I live very close by. | Ich wohne hier in der Nähe. |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | Ich möchte den Sauvignon Blanc probieren. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Ja, klingt gut! |
| Until you just light your cigarette. | Bis du dir eine Zigarette anzündest. |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | Okay, wir sind hier. Das ist die Honeybrook Straße. |
| Does anyone else need anything? | Brauchst sonst noch irgendjemand etwas? |
| That's very interesting! | Das ist sehr interessant! |
| It only takes 15 or 20 minutes. | Es dauert nur etwa 15 oder 20 Minuten. |
| Umm, you can tell them it's our wedding anniversary. | Ähm, du kannst ihnen sagen, dass es unser Hochzeitsjubiläum ist. |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Ich vermute er will etwas Wasser trinken. |
| Yes, sorry, everything seems filthy, but believe me, it's not my fault! | Ja, tut mir leid, dass scheinbar alles schmutzig ist, aber glaub mir, es ist nicht meine Schuld! |
| Do you expect me to make the room bigger by pushing the walls out? | Soll ich den Raum vergrößern, indem ich die Wände verschiebe? |
| I don't like violence in real life, I only like it in movies. | Ich mag keine Gewalt im echten Leben, ich mag sie nur in Filmen. |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Du siehst mir nicht aus wie eine Englischlehrerin. |
| Do you want me to wash the wine bottle before I pour it? | Soll ich die Weinflasche waschen, bevor ich dir davon einschenke? |