







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 don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | Ich denke nicht, dass das nötig ist, da es alle 20 Minuten einen Zug gibt. |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | Die Katze gehört nicht wirklich mir. Es ist die Katze meiner Freundin. |
| I think I've got a better idea about what to do with the bed! | Ich denke ich habe eine bessere Idee, was wir mit dem Bett machen können! |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | Warte kurz. Beide wiegen 300g und sind von derselben Marke. |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | Oh, sorry! Du machst Dinge nicht gerne sauber. Ich kann es machen. |
| It doesn't matter, I think they are the same distance away. | Macht keinen Unterschied. Ich denke beide sind gleich weit weg. |
| No, I'm a real estate agent. | Nein, ich bin ein Immobilienmakler. |
| What kind of trick is that? | Welcher Trick denn? |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Ähm, apropos, da wir gerade beim Thema sind... |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | Also 2017 minus 1841 ist... |
| I think 4000 quid is big enough. | Ich denke 4000 Pfund sind nicht wenig. |
| But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | Aber ich glaube nicht, dass ich alle verwenden kann. Es sind zu viele! |
| That's why I never trust quiet people... | Deswegen vertraue ich ruhigen Menschen nie... |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | Ich koche meistens Fleisch-, Fisch- und Hühnchengerichte. |
| It's not for me, it's for the rice, dear! | Er ist nicht für mich, sondern für den Reis mein Lieber! |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | Ich kann nicht glauben, dass du es immer noch nicht verstanden hast! |
| Who is Mike, darling? | Wer ist Mike, meine Liebe? |
| Do you remember the pub's name? | Erinnerst du dich an den Namen des Pubs? |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | Ich sehe sie oft dort wo ich arbeite. |
| Yeah, I think it's a bit early to knock on someone's door! | Ja, ich denke es ist etwas früh, um an der Tür von jemandem zu klopfen! |