







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 | |
|---|---|
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | Nein, ich lüge nicht! Ich lüge nie. |
| Can you please not forget to take some poo bags with you! | Bitte denk daran Hundetüten mitzunehmen! |
| It's the second one from the top. | Es ist der Zweite von oben. |
| Come on, don't cry, she is just a stupid girl! | Komm schon, weine nicht. Sie ist nur ein dummes Mädchen! |
| Do you have a cigarette? | Hast du eine Zigarette? |
| I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | Ich hasse es, wenn sie die ganze Nacht an meinem Ohr herumfliegen und mich aufwecken. |
| Sorry, look, here is the station. | Sorry, schau, hier ist der Bahnhof. |
| Yeah, and the market is good, is Camden Lock in zone-2 or 3? | Ja und der Markt ist gut. Ist Camden Lock in Zone 2 oder 3? |
| Yeah, it's better not to fully fill the bath, it leaks downstairs. | Ja, es ist besser wenn Sie die Badewanne nicht ganz vollmachen. Sie leckt ins Erdgeschoss. |
| I like the seafood restaurants there. | Ich mag die Fischrestaurants dort. |
| That's nice, what do you usually cook? | Nicht schlecht. Was kochst du normalerweise? |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh wirklich? Das ist nicht gut. |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Hallo, es ist aber nicht Dick, sondern Nick... Fängt mit einem N an. |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Ich kann natürlich kochen, aber nur wenn ich Lust dazu habe. |
| 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! |
| How old are you? | Wie alt bist du? |
| What do you want me to do with them? | Was soll ich mit ihnen machen? |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | Möchtest du das Blech in der Mitte? |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Du siehst mir nicht aus wie eine Englischlehrerin. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Übrigens die Kaution beträgt £3000 und ist nicht verhandelbar... |