







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 haven't been there before, where is it? | Dort war ich noch nie zuvor. Wo ist das? |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | Also 2017 minus 1841 ist... |
| Thank you, dear... For helping me to be a liar! | Danke Schatz... Dafür, dass du mir geholfen hast eine Lügnerin zu sein! |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | Alles ist so wie beworben. |
| Then, I don't think we need to see the next one! | Dann denke ich wir müssen es uns nicht ansehen! |
| That's where Diego works, too! | Dort arbeitet Diego auch! |
| Is it Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus? | Leicester Square oder Piccadilly Circus? |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | Hi Mädels, das ist Mike. |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | Ja, Bear isst jeden Tag eineinhalb Katzen zum Frühstück. |
| Mike! You can't use people's stuff without asking! | Mike! Du kannst nicht die Dinge von anderen nehmen, ohne sie zu fragen! |
| I'm sorry for not showing up at your opening. | Tut mir leid, dass ich bei der Eröffnung nicht da war. |
| Ah, I'm very sorry, but we're fully booked tonight! | Ähm, es tut mir Leid, aber wir sind heute Abend ausgebucht! |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | Ich hoffe deinen Freunden macht das nichts aus. |
| First of all, it's so sad to see them in pain. | Erstens, es ist so traurig dein Haustier mit Schmerzen zu sehen. |
| I think I deserve a kiss... | Ich denke ich habe einen Kuss verdient... |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | Manche Menschen mögen es nicht ihre Anzeige ins Internet zu stellen. |
| Are you serious? | Ist das dein Ernst? |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Ja, klingt gut! |
| You know, she is normally an extremely quiet and calm person. | Weißt du, sie ist normalerweise eine sehr leise und ruhige Person. |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | Das ist mein Freund Mike. |