







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 you want me to call Diego, then? | Willst du, dass ich Diego anrufe? |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | Das ist die letzte Packung und leider hat sie ein Loch. |
| Is there a garlic crusher, then? | Gibt es dann eine Knoblauchpresse? |
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | Stimmt, es ist ein ziemlich großes Land. Eher wie ein Kontinent. |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | Egal, gibt es irgendetwas was wir noch machen müssen? |
| No, she is a uni student in Russia. | Nein, sie studiert an einer Universität in Russland. |
| Can I get you some more drinks? | Sollen ich Ihnen zuerst nachschenken? |
| I've only got Saturday left before I have to move on Sunday. | Ich habe nur noch Samstag, bevor ich am Sonntag ausziehen muss. |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Ich mag es auch nicht ins Krankenhaus zu gehen. |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | Das passiert nur, wenn er extrem gestresst ist! |
| How is your cat? | Wie geht es deinem Kater? |
| No she is a very cute, easygoing and friendly girl. | Nein, sie ist ein sehr süßes, lockeres und freundliches Mädchen. |
| They're there, under the duvet. | Sie ist dort unter der Bettdecke. |
| It's almost 09:30. | Es ist fast 09:30 Uhr. |
| Where is my f*cking tenner? | Wo ist mein verd*mmter Zehner? |
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | Hast du Russland gesagt? Das ist ungewöhnlich! |
| I don't know, probably put it in the bin. | Keine Ahnung. Sie wahrscheinlich in die Mülltonne werfen. |
| Why do you want to live there? | Warum möchtest du dort leben? |
| And sometimes they don't come home for days. | Und manchmal kommen sie tagelang nicht nachhause. |
| It's Marvin Gaye, from the 60's, but this is the remix. | Marvin Gaye aus den 60ern, aber das ist der Remix. |