







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do we have any paper towels? | Haben wir irgendwelches Küchenpapier? |
| I'm sure it's where it always is. | Ich bin mir sicher sie ist am üblichen Platz. |
| It's very difficult to talk to you on the phone right now. | Es ist momentan sehr schwer mit dir zu telefonieren. |
| I mean, do you cook Asian or other kinds of cuisines? | Ich meine, kochst du asiatische Speisen oder Gerichte aus anderen Ländern? |
| I live just opposite the pub. | Ich lebe genau gegenüber vom Pub. |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Sehr schön! Ich hoffe er macht das nicht die ganze Zeit! |
| I prefer red onions. | Ich bevorzuge rote Zwiebeln. |
| I'm calling him now then, do you want anything else? | Ich rufe ihn jetzt dann an. Willst du etwas anderes? |
| Do you have their number? | Hast du ihre Nummer? |
| Do you live in this house, too? | Lebst du auch in diesem Haus? |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Ja, ich denke Stechmücken zu töten ist fair. |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | Stimmt. Ich denke Dampfdrucktöpfe sind auch ziemlich gefährlich! |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Er ist nicht für mich, sondern für den Reis mein Lieber! |
| No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | Nein, das werde ich nicht... Ich will kein Haus mehr in Mayfair! |
| I would like to... But I have other things to do... | Das würde ich gerne... Aber ich habe andere Dinge zu erledigen... |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Ist dein Hund ein Chow-Chow? |
| There is also some cheese, but it's a bit mouldy. | Es gibt auch ein bisschen Käse, aber der ist schon etwas schimmelig. |
| First of all, it's so sad to see them in pain. | Erstens, es ist so traurig dein Haustier mit Schmerzen zu sehen. |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | Oh Gott, ich fühle mich jetzt zu müde. |
| What's the time, are we early? | Wie spät ist es? Sind wir zu früh? |