







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 | |
|---|---|
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Okay, es scheint so, als ob die beiden nicht aggressiv miteinander sind. |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Okay, abgemacht! Du hast 3 Tage ab jetzt, um darüber nachzudenken! |
| What do you think, dear, do you like it, too? | Was denkst du Schatz, magst du es auch? |
| I am alone till my friend comes. | Ich bin alleine, bis mein Freund kommt. |
| Okay, what temperature do you want me to set it at? | Okay, auf welche Temperatur soll ich ihn stellen? |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | Vielen Dank, ich bin 26. |
| Is there a garlic crusher, then? | Gibt es dann eine Knoblauchpresse? |
| I am 24. | Ich bin 24. |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | Ich möchte den Sauvignon Blanc probieren. |
| Why is that rice so special? | Warum ist dieser Reis so besonders? |
| That's a very interesting combination. | Das ist eine sehr interessante Kombination. |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | Ich hoffe deinen Freunden macht das nichts aus. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | Was ist die Schlimmste? Den Abwasch machen oder saubermachen? |
| It won't change anything, but reminding me is stressing me out! | Es wird nichts ändern, aber es stresst mich, wenn ich daran erinnert werde! |
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | Cate, ist alles in Ordnung? Du scheinst ein bisschen aggressiv zu sein. |
| Which website do you use? | Welche Webseite verwendest du? |
| Hmm, I guess it's a bit old, but it's still my favourite. | Hmm, ich denke er ist etwas alt, aber trotzdem mein Lieblingsfilm. |
| But for how many people? | Aber für wie viele Personen? |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | Ja, Bear isst jeden Tag eineinhalb Katzen zum Frühstück. |
| I'm calling him now then, do you want anything else? | Ich rufe ihn jetzt dann an. Willst du etwas anderes? |