







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 | |
|---|---|
| As they say, time is the best medicine. | Wie man sagt, Zeit ist die beste Medizin. |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | Ich habe eine Schwester und sie ist neunzehn Jahre alt. |
| Why did you ask, do you want me to boil it? | Warum fragst du? Willst du, dass ich es koche? |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | Ich denke auch, dass Langestreckenflüge nicht sehr angenehm sind. |
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | Letzte Nacht hatten wir lange geöffnet und du kennst ihre Ausrede. |
| How is there four of us? | Inwiefern sind wir zu viert? |
| Erm.. Isn't it there? | Hm.. Ist sie nicht dort? |
| That's nice, I like the music and the lyrics. | Das ist schön. Ich mag die Musik und den Text. |
| Thank you very much! | Vielen Dank! |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | Bist du der einzige Raucher im Haus? |
| Is there any other cat around? | Gibt es sonst noch eine andere Katze? |
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | Cate, ist alles in Ordnung? Du scheinst ein bisschen aggressiv zu sein. |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | Komm schon Mike, es geht nicht darum, ob ich zu Hause bin. |
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | Ist das nicht etwas zu früh fürs Abendessen? |
| Do you know the pub around the corner? | Kennst du den Pub um die Ecke? |
| Do you want to bet on it? | Möchtest du darauf wetten? |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | Australien hat sehr strikte Zollvorschriften. |
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | Leider habe ich keinen! Wo ist deiner? |
| It's all your fault! I feel so embarrassed now... | Es ist alles deine Schuld! Ich schäme mich jetzt so sehr... |
| Yes, I can hear you, but I don't understand! | Ja, ich höre dich, aber ich verstehe es nicht! |