







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 | |
|---|---|
| Good boy, Beary! See, he is just a little friend. | Guter Junge, Beary! Siehst du? Er ist nur ein kleiner Freund. |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Ich bin wirklich beeindruckt von diesem Bahnhof. |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Ich kann ihn mitbringen, wenn ich wieder für's Frühstück herkomme. |
| It looks like you've got some experience with coffee. | Es scheint so, als ob du dich mit Kaffee auskennst. |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | Hallo, haben Sie eine Tesco Clubkarte? |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | Willst sonst noch jemand etwas zu trinken haben? |
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | Ich weiß nicht. Vielleicht ein bisschen! |
| Anyway, my lesson is starting now, I have to go. | Wie auch immer, mein Unterricht beginnt jetzt. Ich muss auflegen. |
| I think so, he can look around while Bear is not here. | Ich denke ja, damit er sich umschauen kann, solange Bear nicht hier ist. |
| It's a kind of welcoming party for her. | Es ist ein Art Willkommensparty für sie. |
| Thanks, but I don't have time to stay. | Danke, aber ich habe keine Zeit zu bleiben. |
| I don't like their chardonnay. | Ich mag ihren Chardonnay nicht. |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | Ja, es gibt auch ein paar Messer. |
| I think we need to put some of your clothes away. | Ich denke wir müssen ein paar deiner Klamotten ausräumen. |
| It's £135 per week! | £135 pro Woche! |
| Hey, what happened? Is everything okay? | Hey, was ist passiert? Ist alles in Ordnung? |
| Um, I don't feel like eating anything but fish today. | Öhm, ich hab heute nur Lust auf Fisch und nichts anderes. |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Sind wir nicht zu viert Schatz? |
| I'm really sorry, what kind of sickness is it? | Das tut mir wirklich leid. Was für eine Art Krankheit ist es? |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | Hast du irgendwelche Geschwister? |