







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes, the guy with the beard is Mike. | Ja, der Kerl mit dem Bart ist Mike. |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | Es scheint so, als ob Pogo in den Garten möchte. |
| I'm happy to hear that. | Das freut mich zu hören. |
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | Soll ich das Hühnchen als Erstes in den Kochtopf legen? |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | Übrigens, ich mag die Farbe der Wände... Was denkst du? |
| No worries, it's free for you today. | Kein Sorge, sie kosten dich heute nichts. |
| I think I'm going to order some duck, it's delicious. | Ich denke ich werde Ente bestellen. Die schmeckt köstlich. |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Nicht wirklich! Ich koche nicht wirklich gern. |
| That's a very interesting combination. | Das ist eine sehr interessante Kombination. |
| I don't think you really want me to stay here anymore! | Ich denke du willst nicht wirklich, dass ich länger hier bleibe! |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mein Gott! Es ist fast 12 Uhr. |
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | Nein, aber darauf habe ich Hunger... |
| Then people come and complain to me! | Dann kommen die Leute und beschweren sich bei mir! |
| This is my boyfriend, Mike. | Das ist mein Freund Mike. |
| You are very funny mate. | Sehr witzig. |
| I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | Ich denke nicht, dass es möglich ist mehr Variationen zu finden. |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, 250 Grad ist die Höchsttemperatur! |
| Is it hay fever? I've got some pills for it! | Ist es Heuschnupfen? Ich habe ein paar Tabletten dafür! |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Genau, denkst du also Schnecken sind Käfer oder nicht? |
| How much garlic do you want? | Wie viel Knoblauch brauchst du? |