







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 | |
|---|---|
| No, actually, he is properly toilet trained. | Nein, er ist eigentlich stubenrein. |
| I don't think it's hay fever! I believe it's from the cat... | Ich denke nicht, dass es Heuschnupfen ist! Ich denke es liegt an der Katze... |
| Is it because of the cost, or another reason? | Wegen den Kosten oder gibt es einen anderen Grund? |
| Do you live around here? | Wohnst du in der Gegend? |
| Why is that rice so special? | Warum ist dieser Reis so besonders? |
| They weigh everything at the checkout. | Sie wiegen alles an der Kasse. |
| It's always the same. | Es ist immer dasselbe. |
| I think the price is very cheap. | Der Preis ist meiner Meinung nach sehr günstig. |
| How are you? | Wie geht es dir? |
| I'm really sorry to hear that, mate! | Tut mir echt leid das zu hören! |
| No, it's not okay, I'm screwed now! | Nein, nichts ist in Ordnung. Ich bin jetzt in der Klemme! |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | Also 2017 minus 1841 ist... |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | Es ist schneller, aber wir wollen nicht zur U-Bahn-Haltestelle zu laufen. |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | Es ist nicht so wichtig, aber etwas, das man definitiv erwähnen sollte. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | Ja, das ist eine gute Idee. |
| Until you just light your cigarette. | Bis du dir eine Zigarette anzündest. |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Fühlst du dich mittlerweile etwas besser? |
| Can you please not forget to take some poo bags with you! | Bitte denk daran Hundetüten mitzunehmen! |
| You are absolutely right! | Du hast absolut Recht! |
| But Bear has got hip dysplasia. | Aber Bear hat eine Fehlbildung der Hüfte. |