







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 | |
|---|---|
| Is it because the other tenants don't want pets? | Liegt es daran, dass die anderen Mieter keine Haustiere möchten? |
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | Natürlich, ich denke 2 Tomaten reichen aus. |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Ich kann ihn mitbringen, wenn ich wieder für's Frühstück herkomme. |
| So I want to cook as much as I can now. | Deswegen will ich jetzt so viel wie möglich kochen. |
| The recipe is for 6 people. | Das Rezept ist für 6 Personen. |
| Really? Sade is one of my favourites, too. | Echt? Sade gehört auch zu meinen Favoriten. |
| I usually take the train. | Ich nehme normalerweise den Zug. |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | Egal, ich muss auch auf die Toilette gehen... |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Ja, ich denke Stechmücken zu töten ist fair. |
| And on the ground floor we have easy access to the garden. | Und im Erdgeschoss haben wir direkten Zugang zum Garten. |
| You are absolutely right! | Du hast absolut Recht! |
| The place I am having the meeting is very close to Brighton Pier. | Der Ort an dem ich mein Meeting habe, ist ganz in der Nähe vom Kai in Brighton. |
| It's all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | Es geht ausschließlich um meine kleine Liebe Katze Pogo. |
| Actually, it's quite urgent for me. | Eigentlich ist es ziemlich dringend für mich. |
| I'm a bit paranoid about it. | Ich bin deswegen ein bisschen paranoid. |
| Mike! You can't use people's stuff without asking! | Mike! Du kannst nicht die Dinge von anderen nehmen, ohne sie zu fragen! |
| It makes all of our clothes stink! | Alle unsere Klamotten stinken dadurch! |
| Depends on where you look. | Kommt darauf an, wo man sucht. |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Welche Art von Musik magst du am meisten? |
| Do they weigh them here or at the checkout? | Werden sie hier gewogen oder an der Kasse? |