







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 | |
|---|---|
| What do you think, dear, do you like it, too? | Was denkst du Schatz, magst du es auch? |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | Oben leben Diego und ein britisches Paar daneben. |
| No worries, I have got a peeler for you! | Keine Sorge, ich habe einen Schäler für dich! |
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | Letzte Nacht hatten wir lange geöffnet und du kennst ihre Ausrede. |
| It looks like you've got some experience with coffee. | Es scheint so, als ob du dich mit Kaffee auskennst. |
| Anyway, the flight situation is a bit complicated. | Jedenfalls ist die Flugsituation etwas kompliziert. |
| But sometimes I feel guilty not being there! | Aber manchmal fühle ich mich schuldig, dass ich nicht dort bin! |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Du siehst mir nicht aus wie eine Englischlehrerin. |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | Es scheint so, als ob Pogo in den Garten möchte. |
| The rice section is over there. | Die Reisabteilung ist dort drüben. |
| I like girls' nights out. | Ich mag Frauenabende. |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Ja, ich denke Stechmücken zu töten ist fair. |
| But on the ad it says the house is fully furnished! | Aber in der Anzeige steht, dass das Haus voll möbliert ist! |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | Danke Papa. Wo ist Bears Leine? |
| He's a... Sorry Mike, what do you do? | Er ist ein...entschuldige Mike, was arbeitest du? |
| No, I don't have one! | Nein, ich habe keine! |
| Do we have a sieve? | Haben wir ein Sieb? |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | Ich habe noch zwei Unterrichtsstunden. Ich bin um dreiuhrdreißig fertig. |
| Oh, your girlfriend's cat... Does she live here with you? | Oh, die Katze deiner Freundin... Lebt sie hier mit dir? |
| Hope to see you later. | Ich hoffe, ich sehe dich später. |