







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes, sorry, everything seems filthy, but believe me, it's not my fault! | Ja, tut mir leid, dass scheinbar alles schmutzig ist, aber glaub mir, es ist nicht meine Schuld! |
| There is also some cheese, but it's a bit mouldy. | Es gibt auch ein bisschen Käse, aber der ist schon etwas schimmelig. |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | Das ist gut, drei Häuser an einem Tag anzusehen ist nicht schlecht. |
| We don't have that system in Brighton yet. | Wir haben dieses System noch nicht in Brighton. |
| Is that a crack in the bath? | Ist das ein Riss in der Badewanne? |
| Erm.. Isn't it there? | Hm.. Ist sie nicht dort? |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Vielleicht hat sie wirklich eine Allergie gegen Katzen. Das wissen wir nicht. |
| My favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. | Mein Lieblingsfilm ist Pulp Fiction. |
| Do you live around here? | Wohnst du in der Gegend? |
| Hey, before you go... | Hey, bevor du gehst... |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | Soll ich ihr sagen, dass du hier bist? |
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | Nein, ich lüge nicht! Ich lüge nie. |
| Well this is how it is... do you want to see upstairs? | Nun, so ist es halt... Möchten Sie sich das obere Stockwerk ansehen? |
| Hang on, there is another web site that says... | Warte, es gibt eine andere Webseite da steht... |
| Okay, I found it... but it looks filthy! | Okay, ich habe es gefunden... aber es sieht schmutzig aus! |
| Do they weigh them here or at the checkout? | Werden sie hier gewogen oder an der Kasse? |
| I'm sure it's where it always is. | Ich bin mir sicher sie ist am üblichen Platz. |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | Pogo ist meine kleine Katze. Ist das ein Problem? |
| Yeah, it's open here already... | Ja, sie ist hier schon geöffnet... |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | Ja, ich mag es Lasagne einen Tag nach der Zubereitung zu essen. Sie schmeckt besser. |