







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 | |
|---|---|
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | Sehr schön! Ich hoffe er macht das nicht die ganze Zeit! |
| Hmm.. yes, we get on really well. | Hmm... ja, wir verstehen uns wirklich gut. |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | Pogo ist meine kleine Katze. Ist das ein Problem? |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | Es ist nicht nett so etwas zu einer Frau zu sagen... |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | Es ist so als ob etwas Böses in ihnen steckt! |
| I don't mind sitting outside as long as I'm not cold. | Es macht mir nichts aus draußen zu sitzen, solange mir nicht kalt ist. |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | Nein, wir gießen Pasta mit einer Reibe ab. |
| You are right, is there anything you want me to buy on the way? | Du hast Recht. Soll ich etwas unterwegs kaufen? |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Nun, ich denke wir alle müssen bald gehen. |
| It's usually at the top right of your screen. | Sie steht meistens in der rechten oberen Ecke Ihres Bildschirms. |
| I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | Es tut mir leid, aber wir müssen unser Treffen heute absagen. |
| Her name is Ayumi! | Ihr Name ist Ayumi! |
| But that's true, some Chows are a bit aggressive. | Aber stimmt, manche Chow-Chows sind ein bisschen aggressiv. |
| I am half-British and half-Australian. | Ich bin halb Britin und halb Australierin. |
| It's the second one from the top. | Es ist der Zweite von oben. |
| Because I'm sure they don't serve bugs in London! | Weil ich mir sicher bin, dass sie keine Käfer in London servieren! |
| I like girls' nights out. | Ich mag Frauenabende. |
| I'm checking again, there are only two forks and a teaspoon! | Ich schau nochmal nach. Es gibt nur zwei Gabeln und einen Teelöffel! |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | Und jetzt sind mir ein Haufen Pilze übrig geblieben, die ich verwenden kann. |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Also hast du offensichtlich keine Ahnung was es kostet ein Haus zu mieten. |