







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 | |
|---|---|
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | Sicher meine Liebe. Willst du ein Glas oder eine Flasche? |
| No, they live in Australia. | Nein, sie leben in Australien. |
| How do you get to Brighton? | Wie kommst du nach Brighton? |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | Toby, das ist Cate. Sie ist meine... Freundin aus London. |
| Sorry, is it possible to see it this Saturday after 2 o'clock? | Entschuldigung. Ist es möglich das Haus am Samstag nach 14 Uhr anzusehen? |
| I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | Ich hoffe das ist die falsche Adresse! Es sieht grauenvoll aus. |
| Oh sorry dear, my husband has some difficulties hearing... | Oh entschuldigen Sie bitte. Mein Mann hat Hörprobleme... |
| There is nothing under 3,000 in Angel! | Es gibt in Angel nichts unter 3000! |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Okay, ich denke ich weiß wer er ist. |
| No, but I definitely don't want to live in that house anymore! | Nein, aber ich möchte definitiv nicht weiter in diesem Haus leben! |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | Stimmt, ich bin mir sicher die zahlen nicht so viel! |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | Entschuldigung Frau Jones. Es gibt ein Missverständnis... |
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | Leider habe ich keinen! Wo ist deiner? |
| What's your plan, Cate? | Was ist dein Plan, Cate? |
| Of course, she is an angel, do you want to talk to your mum? | Natürlich ist sie ein Engel. Möchtest du mit deiner Mutter sprechen? |
| I took Bear out and I'm just about to leave. | Ich war mit Bear draußen und bin gerade dabei zu gehen. |
| I guess so, but I want to finish seeing all the houses today. | Ich denke schon, aber ich will es schaffen heute alle Häuser anzuschauen. |
| Are you close friends? | Seid ihr gute Freunde? |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Wessen Katze?... Meinst du meine Katze? |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Hallo, sind Sie Cate? |