







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'm not really in the mood to join them. | Ich habe nicht wirklich Lust, mich ihnen anzuschließen. |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Okay, ich denke ich weiß wer er ist. |
| Sorry, I hope it doesn't ruin your childhood memories... | Sorry, ich hoffe das hat deine Kindheitserinnerungen nicht ruiniert... |
| That's nice, I like the music and the lyrics. | Das ist schön. Ich mag die Musik und den Text. |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | Gibt es ein Problem mit dem Akku deines Telefons? |
| I'm really sorry about that! | Das tut mir wirklich leid! |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | Hmm... Morgen ist ein Feiertag. |
| Do you want me to slice the mushrooms for you? | Soll ich die Pilze für dich in Scheiben schneiden? |
| Thank you, dear... For helping me to be a liar! | Danke Schatz... Dafür, dass du mir geholfen hast eine Lügnerin zu sein! |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | Wie kann er es wagen... Er ist so dumm!!! |
| Did I? I don't know... What is it? | Habe ich? Ich weiß nicht... Was denn? |
| I'm calling him now then, do you want anything else? | Ich rufe ihn jetzt dann an. Willst du etwas anderes? |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | Manchmal erkennt er nicht mal meine Mutter. |
| Watch out for the 3rd step, it's not very stable. | Passen Sie auf die dritte Stufe auf. Sie ist nicht sehr stabil. |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Hey, das Wasser kocht. Soll ich es in einen Topf schütten? |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Genau, denkst du also Schnecken sind Käfer oder nicht? |
| Nope, oyster cards are only for transport in London. | Nein, die Oyster Card gilt nur für Transport innerhalb von London. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Übrigens die Kaution beträgt £3000 und ist nicht verhandelbar... |
| Well this is how it is... do you want to see upstairs? | Nun, so ist es halt... Möchten Sie sich das obere Stockwerk ansehen? |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Ja, meinst du Dreiräder? |