







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 | |
|---|---|
| Is it Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus? | Leicester Square oder Piccadilly Circus? |
| 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... |
| Is it really on the menu? | Steht das wirklich auf der Karte? |
| No, it doesn't look clean, do you want me to clean it? | Nein, sie sieht nicht sauber aus. Soll ich sie saubermachen? |
| Do you need to wake up early tomorrow or something? | Musst du morgen früh aufstehen? |
| It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | Es ist schwer zu glauben, aber wir haben einen Dampfdrucktopf im Haus. |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | Und jetzt sind mir ein Haufen Pilze übrig geblieben, die ich verwenden kann. |
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | Oh Gott... Jetzt habe ich es verstanden! Das ist ekelhaft... |
| But before we go, can you call them and ask if they are okay with pets? | Aber kannst du sie vorher anrufen und fragen, ob sie mit Haustieren einverstanden sind? |
| You know, she is normally an extremely quiet and calm person. | Weißt du, sie ist normalerweise eine sehr leise und ruhige Person. |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | Macht keinen Unterschied. Ich denke beide sind gleich weit weg. |
| I'm calling him now then, do you want anything else? | Ich rufe ihn jetzt dann an. Willst du etwas anderes? |
| I think one room is empty upstairs at the moment. | Ein Zimmer oben ist momentan frei, soweit ich weiß. |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | Klar! Warum ist es so wichtig für dich? |
| Yeah, our room has only got one window! | Ja, unser Zimmer hat nur ein Fenster! |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Ja, klingt gut! |
| Do you remember me? | Erinnerst du dich an mich? |
| No, it's the owner, she is an old lady and very strict about that. | Nein, es liegt an der Hausbesitzerin. Sie ist eine alte Dame und sie ist sehr strikt in diesem Punkt. |
| I've finally completed it and tomorrow is the big day! | Ich habe es endlich beendet und morgen ist der große Tag! |
| How much are they supposed to pay? | Wie viel müssen sie dir zahlen? |