







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's not a nice thing to do. | Das ist aber nicht nett. |
| How old are you? | Wie alt bist du? |
| Do you like red or white onions? | Magst du rote oder weiße Zwiebeln? |
| He just moved from Brighton and lives around here. | Er ist gerade erst aus Brighton hergezogen und lebt in der Nähe. |
| I don't mind sitting outside as long as I'm not cold. | Es macht mir nichts aus draußen zu sitzen, solange mir nicht kalt ist. |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | Du musst auf den Knopf drücken und ihn nach rechts drehen. |
| Well this is how it is... do you want to see upstairs? | Nun, so ist es halt... Möchten Sie sich das obere Stockwerk ansehen? |
| Mike! You can't use people's stuff without asking! | Mike! Du kannst nicht die Dinge von anderen nehmen, ohne sie zu fragen! |
| I don't think it's hay fever! I believe it's from the cat... | Ich denke nicht, dass es Heuschnupfen ist! Ich denke es liegt an der Katze... |
| Set times always stress me out. | Fixe Zeiten stressen mich immer. |
| Do you want me to call them? | Soll ich sie anrufen? |
| Yeah, and the market is good, is Camden Lock in zone-2 or 3? | Ja und der Markt ist gut. Ist Camden Lock in Zone 2 oder 3? |
| It's not much less... There is a slight difference! | Es ist nicht viel weniger... Es ist nur eine kleine Differenz! |
| What do you want me to do with them? | Was soll ich mit ihnen machen? |
| You know, I usually have some early morning lessons. | Weißt du, ich habe normalerweise Unterricht am frühen Morgen. |
| Don't worry, I don't like having a very heavy breakfast. | Keine Sorge, ich mag kein wirklich schweres Frühstück. |
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | Ich denke nicht, dass das nötig ist, da es alle 20 Minuten einen Zug gibt. |
| Does that help you to believe me? | Hilft dir das, mir zu glauben? |
| I like the seafood restaurants there. | Ich mag die Fischrestaurants dort. |
| I'm calling him now then, do you want anything else? | Ich rufe ihn jetzt dann an. Willst du etwas anderes? |