







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you live in this house, too? | Lebst du auch in diesem Haus? |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Ich arbeite heute nur 3 Stunden. |
| Is that what you want to do? | Möchtest du das? |
| I guess mine is older than yours! | Ich schätze meiner ist älter als deiner! |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Möchtest du also, dass ich alleine nach einem Haus suche? |
| No, but I definitely don't want to live in that house anymore! | Nein, aber ich möchte definitiv nicht weiter in diesem Haus leben! |
| Excuse me ma'am, here is an undamaged packet of rice for you. | Entschuldigen Sie, hier ist eine unbeschädigte Packung Reis für Sie. |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | Ich denke auch, dass Langestreckenflüge nicht sehr angenehm sind. |
| Because I don't want to waste more time finding a new house... | Weil ich nicht mehr Zeit damit verschwenden möchten ein neues Haus zu finden... |
| Do they weigh them here or at the checkout? | Werden sie hier gewogen oder an der Kasse? |
| Umm, you can tell them it's our wedding anniversary. | Ähm, du kannst ihnen sagen, dass es unser Hochzeitsjubiläum ist. |
| No, because she is mental and can harm Pogo or Bear! | Nein, weil sie verrückt ist und Pogo und Bear verletzen kann! |
| There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | Es gibt einen Roboter im Körper eines Kindes, aber er weißt nicht, dass er ein Roboter ist. |
| Um, I don't feel like eating anything but fish today. | Öhm, ich hab heute nur Lust auf Fisch und nichts anderes. |
| Erm.. Isn't it there? | Hm.. Ist sie nicht dort? |
| Is it really on the menu? | Steht das wirklich auf der Karte? |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | Es ist nicht so wichtig, aber etwas, das man definitiv erwähnen sollte. |
| That's a good question! | Das ist eine gute Frage! |
| Do you mean the guy with the beard? | Meinst du den Kerl mit dem Bart? |
| What's up? Is everything okay? | Was ist los? Ist alles okay? |