







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 | |
|---|---|
| Umm, Dick is here, dear, he is the landlord... | Ähm, es ist Dick Schatz. Er ist der Vermieter... |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Es tut mir Leid, aber es sind keine Tiere im Haus erlaubt! |
| But one of them is £2.44 and the other one is £1.22. | Aber eine Packung kostet £2,44 und die andere £1,22. |
| Yes, they are all around 2 pounds. | Ja, jeder kostet um die 2 Pfund. |
| Do we have a mortar and pestle? | Haben wir einen Mörser und einen Stößel? |
| Well, it's about a kid, I mean a robot. | Nun, es geht um ein Kind, ähm, ich meinte einen Roboter. |
| 5 bedroom detached house on Lyme Street, £2,800, is that right? | Einzelhaus mit 5 Schlafzimmern in der Lyme Street für £2800, richtig? |
| Excuse me sir, here are your drinks and the menu. | Verzeihung, hier sind Ihre Getränke und die Speisekarte. |
| Is it possible to move in tomorrow? | Ist es möglich morgen einzuziehen? |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | Ja, ich frage mich ob wir bei Filmen auch denselben Geschmack haben! |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | Ich denke nicht, dass wir dafür zahlen müssen. |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | Sie ist halb Japanerin, halb Australierin. |
| Congratulations, I wish you luck. | Glückwunsch, ich wünsche dir Glück! |
| Welcome to the Diamond Duck, do you have a reservation, sir? | Willkommen zum Diamond Duck. Haben Sie eine Reservierung mein Herr? |
| That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | Das ist extrem. Ich denke nicht, dass wir einen Mörsel und einen Stößel haben. |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Klar, mein Name ist Cate und meine Nummer ist 077... |
| Do you need to wake up early tomorrow or something? | Musst du morgen früh aufstehen? |
| But I think that's only for older women. | Aber ich denke das gilt nur für ältere Frauen. |
| Isn't it faster taking the tube? | Ist es nicht schneller mit der U-Bahn? |
| Is there a knife? | Gibt es ein Messer? |