







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 | |
|---|---|
| That's why you can't find the answer! | Deswegen kannst du die Antwort nicht finden! |
| Bear hates being at a vet, too. | Bear hasst es auch beim Tierarzt zu sein. |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | Es ist nicht nett so etwas zu einer Frau zu sagen... |
| No, they live in Australia. | Nein, sie leben in Australien. |
| Hello mate, where are you? | Hey Kumpel, wo bist du? |
| Do you live in this house, too? | Lebst du auch in diesem Haus? |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | Ähm... Ich weiß ich schnarche manchmal. Schnarche ich jeden Tag? |
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | Letzte Nacht hatten wir lange geöffnet und du kennst ihre Ausrede. |
| Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Natürlich, mein Name ist Cate und meine Nummer ist 077... |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Ich kann ihn mitbringen, wenn ich wieder für's Frühstück herkomme. |
| What kind of trick is that? | Welcher Trick denn? |
| Yeah, I think this wardrobe is too small for two people. | Ja, ich denke der Kleiderschrank ist zu klein für zwei Menschen. |
| No, but I definitely don't want to live in that house anymore! | Nein, aber ich möchte definitiv nicht weiter in diesem Haus leben! |
| My sisters live nearby, they help her sometimes. | Meine Schwestern leben in der Nähe und helfen ihr manchmal. |
| Then he finds out he is a robot, not a real kid. | Dann findet er heraus, dass er ein Robotoer ist und kein echtes Kind. |
| Can you stop acting like I always ask for money? | Kannst du aufhören so zu tun, al ob ich immer nach Geld fragen würde? |
| I live just opposite the pub. | Ich lebe genau gegenüber vom Pub. |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | Oben leben Diego und ein britisches Paar daneben. |
| It's like, the bus you are waiting for never comes. | Es ist so wie; der Bus auf den du wartest, kommt nie. |
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | Ja, der Frühling ist wahrscheinlich die schlimmste Zeit für Allergien! |