







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 | |
|---|---|
| It's impossible for me to commute from zone-9 to 1 everyday. | Es ist unmöglich für mich täglich zwischen Zone 9 und Zone 1 zu pendeln. |
| Do you like them with or without the skin on? | Magst du sie mit oder ohne Haut? |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Hallo, es tut mir leid, dass ich ein bisschen spät dran bin. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | Was ist die Schlimmste? Den Abwasch machen oder saubermachen? |
| I don't need to wake up very early. | Ich muss nicht früh aufstehen. |
| Is it Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus? | Leicester Square oder Piccadilly Circus? |
| Do you like red or white onions? | Magst du rote oder weiße Zwiebeln? |
| My housemates don't clean anything in the kitchen. | Meine Mitbewohner machen nichts in der Küche sauber. |
| I'm unleashing him now, is that okay for you? | Ich lasse ihn dann jetzt los. Ist das okay? |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Speck mit Eiern und ein paar Oliven reichen mir aus. |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Ja, ich denke Stechmücken zu töten ist fair. |
| Erm, sorry, but I think you have the wrong Mike... | Ähm Entschuldigung, aber ich denke Sie meinen einen anderen Mike... |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | Es ist nicht nett so etwas zu einer Frau zu sagen... |
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | Hast du Russland gesagt? Das ist ungewöhnlich! |
| It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | Es ist schwer zu glauben, aber wir haben einen Dampfdrucktopf im Haus. |
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | Klar, es sind 4 Mädchen. Alle vier sind Studenten aus Deutschland. |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | Und zweitens, Tierärzte sind so teuer! |
| Isn't it faster taking the tube? | Ist es nicht schneller mit der U-Bahn? |
| They are both okay for me. | Beide sind für mich okay. |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Ähm... Wir sind verheiratet... Ich meinte heute ist unser Hochzeitsjubiläum! |