







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 wish you all the best. | Ich wünsche dir alles gute. |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Es ist 16:30 Uhr, also sind wir pünktlich. |
| That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | Das ist extrem. Ich denke nicht, dass wir einen Mörsel und einen Stößel haben. |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | Aber es ist mein Lieblingsrestaurant... |
| Dear, who is it? | Schatz, wer ist es? |
| No, they live in Australia. | Nein, sie leben in Australien. |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | Ja, ich warte hier auf die guten Nachrichten. |
| He also wants to increase our rent by 50%! | Er will auch unsere Miete um 50% erhöhen! |
| It says best before 25th of February. | Hier steht: Mindestens haltbar bis zum 25. Februar. |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | Entschuldigung, ich muss auf die Toilette gehen. |
| 360 degrees should be good. | 360 Grad sollte passen. |
| Yes, he is one of them. | Ja genau, er ist einer davon. |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | Ähm, oh ja, ich kann sie jetzt sehen. Die Anzeigennummer ist 9845... |
| Do they weigh them here or at the checkout? | Werden sie hier gewogen oder an der Kasse? |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | Ja, ich mag es Lasagne einen Tag nach der Zubereitung zu essen. Sie schmeckt besser. |
| We all love bank holidays. | Wir alle lieben Bankfeiertage. |
| I'm sorry but I have bad news about the room... | Es tut mir Leid, aber ich habe schlechte Nachrichten über das Zimmer... |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mein Gott! Es ist fast 12 Uhr. |
| I guess my only choice is coming to your house! | Ich schätze meine einzige Wahl ist zu dir in dein Haus zu kommen! |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | Hast du irgendwelche Geschwister? |