







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 | |
|---|---|
| Mike, it is a continent! | Mike, es ist ein Kontinent! |
| Thank you again for giving me your turn. | Danke nochmals, dass du mich vorgelassen hast. |
| 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! |
| Thanks for warning me now, that's very helpful! | Danke, dass du mir das jetzt sagst. Sehr hilfreich! |
| No worries, I have got a peeler for you! | Keine Sorge, ich habe einen Schäler für dich! |
| How old are you? | Wie alt bist du? |
| Oh, your girlfriend's cat... Does she live here with you? | Oh, die Katze deiner Freundin... Lebt sie hier mit dir? |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | Nein, wir gießen Pasta mit einer Reibe ab. |
| He is a Chow Chow. | Er ist ein Chow-Chow. |
| Do you want me to wash the wine bottle before I pour it? | Soll ich die Weinflasche waschen, bevor ich dir davon einschenke? |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Vielleicht hat sie wirklich eine Allergie gegen Katzen. Das wissen wir nicht. |
| Do you know how to use them? | Weißt du wie man sie benutzt? |
| I hope it's not related to me! | Ich hoffe es geht nicht um mich! |
| How is there four of us? | Inwiefern sind wir zu viert? |
| Hmm.. I think it's overdue. | Hmm.. Ich denke er ist abgelaufen. |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | Ich habe noch zwei Unterrichtsstunden. Ich bin um dreiuhrdreißig fertig. |
| As they say, time is the best medicine. | Wie man sagt, Zeit ist die beste Medizin. |
| Oh, come on dear, I was just joking, you know that... | Oh komm schon, du weißt das ich nur Spaß mache... |
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | Schau. Du kannst den Sonnenuntergang am besten von dieser Stelle aus betrachten. |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Wessen Katze?... Meinst du meine Katze? |