







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 | |
|---|---|
| Good thanks, I'm fine, too. | Danke, mir geht es auch gut. |
| Why don't you get it then? Do you want to see upstairs or not? | Warum holen Sie sich dann nicht das Haus? Möchten Sie das obere Stockwerk ansehen oder nicht? |
| Well, I hope he doesn't keep on pooping all around the house! | Nun, ich hoffe er macht nicht das ganze Haus voller Häufchen! |
| He is the bartender. | Er ist der Barkeeper. |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Wessen Katze?... Meinst du meine Katze? |
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | Glückwunsch... Aber ist Pogo der Name eines Haustiers? |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Ich kann natürlich kochen, aber nur wenn ich Lust dazu habe. |
| Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | Ja, Sie können sich an diesen Tisch setzen. |
| Wow, that's unbelievable, is it yours? | Wow, nicht zu glauben. Gehört er dir? |
| Oh hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | Oh hallo... Ich habe vergessen zu erwähnen, dass es auch ein ganz besonderer Anlass ist... |
| What do you think about him, Cate? | Was denkst du über ihn, Cate? |
| You are absolutely right! | Du hast absolut Recht! |
| Yes, it might be, but I'm very busy with some projects these days. | Ja, kann sein, aber ich bin momentan sehr beschäftigt mit ein paar Projekten. |
| It's all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | Es geht ausschließlich um meine kleine Liebe Katze Pogo. |
| But he hisses occasionally, is it normal? | Aber er faucht manchmal. Ist das normal? |
| How is your mum, does she have any health problems? | Wie sieht es bei deiner Mutter aus, hat sie irgendwelche gesundheitlichen Probleme? |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Sehr schön! Ich hoffe er macht das nicht die ganze Zeit! |
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Bist du sicher, dass sie aus Australien kommt? |
| Is that you, Mike? | Bist du das, Mike? |
| 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. |