







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 | |
|---|---|
| Who is Mike, darling? | Wer ist Mike, meine Liebe? |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Speck mit Eiern und ein paar Oliven reichen mir aus. |
| Dear, who is it? | Schatz, wer ist es? |
| When I have free time. | Wenn ich Zeit habe. |
| Watch out for the 3rd step, it's not very stable. | Passen Sie auf die dritte Stufe auf. Sie ist nicht sehr stabil. |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Okay, ich denke ich weiß wer er ist. |
| But everybody calls him Rocco. | Aber jeder nennt ihn Rocco. |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | Ich habe eine Schwester und sie ist neunzehn Jahre alt. |
| He wouldn't run away, he just wants to check what's outside. | Er würde nicht davonlaufen. Er will nur sehen, was draußen ist. |
| Nope, it gives me a headache! | Nein, davon bekomme ich Kopfschmerzen! |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | Ja, es war ziemlich einfach. Ich lebe ganz in der Nähe. |
| Yes, he is one of them. | Ja genau, er ist einer davon. |
| 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? |
| Aren't there four of us dear? | Sind wir nicht zu viert Schatz? |
| Oh f*ck off, I've got to go now... | Oh hau ab. Ich muss jetzt gehen... |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | Solche verantwortungslosen Menschen machen mich wütend! |
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Ja, das scheint in diesem Fall logischer zu sein. |
| Sorry, I don't have much time, can I tell you the story when I'm back? | Sorry, ich habe nicht viel Zeit. Kann ich euch die Geschichte erzählen, wenn ich zurück bin? |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | Weil sich die anderen beschweren, wenn ich dort rauche. |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | Hast du irgendwelche Geschwister? |