







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 | |
|---|---|
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | Nein, ich lüge nicht! Ich lüge nie. |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Natürlich! Es ist einer meiner Lieblingspubs. |
| What's the time, are we early? | Wie spät ist es? Sind wir zu früh? |
| I'm checking again, there are only two forks and a teaspoon! | Ich schau nochmal nach. Es gibt nur zwei Gabeln und einen Teelöffel! |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | Okay, der Geriebene ist heute 20% günstiger. |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | Ähm... Sie zahlen 170 pro Woche. |
| Why is that? | Warum nicht? |
| Do your parents live in London, too? | Leben deine Eltern auch in London? |
| I think one room is empty upstairs at the moment. | Ein Zimmer oben ist momentan frei, soweit ich weiß. |
| It's individually, the small ones are 30p, big ones 50p. | Er wird pro Stück verkauft. Die kleinen Knoblauchzwiebeln kosten 30p und die Großen 50p. |
| That's not nice, Mike! | Das ist nicht nett Mike! |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | Lass mal nachrechnen. Ich zahle 135 pro Woche für eine Person... |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | Was hätte ich sonst tun sollen? Erwartest du, dass ich nicht mehr schlafe bis ich sterbe? |
| Um.. it could be blue, I don't really remember. | Öhm.. sie könnte blau sein. Ich erinnere mich nicht mehr wirklich. |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | Hast du sorgfältig nachgeschaut? Gibt es überhaupt keins? |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | Ja, sie ist in Australien geboren, aber ihre Mutter ist Japanerin. |
| I go out sometimes with the girls from school. | Ich gehe manchmal mit den Mädchen aus unserer Schule raus. |
| Yes, she is coming back, but isn't it what I always do? | Ja, sie kommt zurück. Aber mache ich das nicht immer? |
| 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. |
| It's like, the bus you are waiting for never comes. | Es ist so wie; der Bus auf den du wartest, kommt nie. |