







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 | |
|---|---|
| Sorry, the line is very bad! | Sorry, die Verbindung ist sehr schlecht! |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | Na ja, ich bin es gewohnt heute schlechte Nachrichten zu bekommen. Was ist los? |
| I really don't know, but I believe it's more than 100 years old. | Ich weiß es wirklich nicht, aber ich denke älter als 100 Jahre. |
| Oh sorry, unfortunately, that one is reserved. | Oh, tut mir leid, aber dieser Tisch ist leider reserviert. |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Öhm, ich komme nicht drauf. Ich denke, es sind mehr als 150 Jahre. |
| Then he finds out he is a robot, not a real kid. | Dann findet er heraus, dass er ein Robotoer ist und kein echtes Kind. |
| It's in Islington, zone-1, it's the best place for me so far. | In Islington in Zone 1. Das ist für mich momentan der beste Ort. |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | Das ist schön... Ich hoffe sie ist kein Teenager! Wie alt ist sie? |
| As I said, it's much easier to open with two people. | Wie gesagt, sie ist einfach mit zwei Menschen zu öffnen. |
| Do we have a mortar and pestle? | Haben wir einen Mörser und einen Stößel? |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | Ja, sie ist in Australien geboren, aber ihre Mutter ist Japanerin. |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | Ähm, oh ja, ich kann sie jetzt sehen. Die Anzeigennummer ist 9845... |
| Is that okay for you? | Ist das für dich in Ordnung? |
| Oh, I think I know them. | Oh, ich denke die Rasse kenne ich. |
| My sisters live nearby, they help her sometimes. | Meine Schwestern leben in der Nähe und helfen ihr manchmal. |
| Where is your school, is it in central London? | Wo ist deine Schule? Liegt sie im Zentrum von London? |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Natürlich! Es ist einer meiner Lieblingspubs. |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | Er ist 70 und meine Mutter ist 64. |
| Do you know the pub around the corner? | Kennst du den Pub um die Ecke? |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Ich habe keine Ahnung was Arborio-Reis ist! |