







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 | |
|---|---|
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | Das ist schön... Ich hoffe sie ist kein Teenager! Wie alt ist sie? |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | Das ist die letzte Packung und leider hat sie ein Loch. |
| My housemates don't clean anything in the kitchen. | Meine Mitbewohner machen nichts in der Küche sauber. |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Ich denke nicht, dass das normal ist. Denkst du, dass das normal ist? |
| Okay, I found it... but it looks filthy! | Okay, ich habe es gefunden... aber es sieht schmutzig aus! |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | Du kannst bei mir wohnen bis du etwas neues findest. |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | Stimmt. Ich denke Dampfdrucktöpfe sind auch ziemlich gefährlich! |
| He hasn't realised that we are at a vet yet. | Er hat es noch nicht gemerkt, dass wir bei einem Tierarzt sind. |
| I don't think it's a suitable movie for kids, dear. | Ich denke nicht, dass der Film für Kinder geeignet ist mein Lieber. |
| It's almost 09:30. | Es ist fast 09:30 Uhr. |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Speck mit Eiern und ein paar Oliven reichen mir aus. |
| Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | Ja, Sie können sich an diesen Tisch setzen. |
| He just moved from Brighton and lives around here. | Er ist gerade erst aus Brighton hergezogen und lebt in der Nähe. |
| Calm down dear, I don't think he realises what he says. | Beruhige dich Schatz. Ich denke nicht, dass er weiß was er sagt. |
| That's not nice, Mike! | Das ist nicht nett Mike! |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | Und zweitens, Tierärzte sind so teuer! |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | Danke. Ja, wie ich gesagte habe, Camden ist in Zone 2... |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | Ich kann nicht glauben, dass du es immer noch nicht verstanden hast! |
| What do you think, dear, do you like it, too? | Was denkst du Schatz, magst du es auch? |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | Die Katze gehört nicht wirklich mir. Es ist die Katze meiner Freundin. |