







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 would like to... But I have other things to do... | Das würde ich gerne... Aber ich habe andere Dinge zu erledigen... |
| Umm, you can tell them it's our wedding anniversary. | Ähm, du kannst ihnen sagen, dass es unser Hochzeitsjubiläum ist. |
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | Nein, ich lüge nicht! Ich lüge nie. |
| Oh hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | Oh hallo... Ich habe vergessen zu erwähnen, dass es auch ein ganz besonderer Anlass ist... |
| Ta-ta here it is... | Tada, hier ist er... |
| Is it because of the cost, or another reason? | Wegen den Kosten oder gibt es einen anderen Grund? |
| Thank god there is nothing to worry about. | Gottseidank ist es nichts bedenkliches. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not serious. | Das wusste ich nicht. Ich hoffe es ist nichts Ernstes. |
| I think so, at least there is no aggression. | Ich denke schon. Zumindest gibt es keine Aggression. |
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | Möglicherweise werde ich am ersten Tag meiner Periode etwas launisch. |
| Yeah, it's better not to fully fill the bath, it leaks downstairs. | Ja, es ist besser wenn Sie die Badewanne nicht ganz vollmachen. Sie leckt ins Erdgeschoss. |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | Warum? Sieht für mich ziemlich sauber aus! |
| The place I am having the meeting is very close to Brighton Pier. | Der Ort an dem ich mein Meeting habe, ist ganz in der Nähe vom Kai in Brighton. |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | Na ja, ich bin es gewohnt heute schlechte Nachrichten zu bekommen. Was ist los? |
| Umm, Dick is here, dear, he is the landlord... | Ähm, es ist Dick Schatz. Er ist der Vermieter... |
| How much garlic do you want? | Wie viel Knoblauch brauchst du? |
| 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... |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Übrigens die Kaution beträgt £3000 und ist nicht verhandelbar... |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | Weil sich die anderen beschweren, wenn ich dort rauche. |
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | Oh nein! Sind Sie sicher, dass nichts verfügbar ist? |