







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 | |
|---|---|
| I don't need to wake up very early. | Ich muss nicht früh aufstehen. |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | Ich bin hungrig, aber es ist besser etwas zu essen, wenn wir die Jungs treffen. |
| You look much younger than that. | Du siehst viel jünger aus. |
| I hope it's not related to me! | Ich hoffe es geht nicht um mich! |
| Erm, we don't have any, but there is someone else's bread. | Öhm, wir haben keins, aber es gibt Brot, das nicht mir gehört. |
| We call it a sixth sense! | Wir nennen es den sechsten Sinn! |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | Oben leben Diego und ein britisches Paar daneben. |
| Do you want me to slice the mushrooms for you? | Soll ich die Pilze für dich in Scheiben schneiden? |
| Then you can decide if I'm a good cook or not! | Dann kannst du entscheiden, ob ich ein guter Koch bin oder nicht! |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Wir sind zurück. Wo ist Bear? |
| I don't know, probably put it in the bin. | Keine Ahnung. Sie wahrscheinlich in die Mülltonne werfen. |
| No, what is that? | Nein, was denn? |
| Diego, do you want me to get you anything to eat? | Diego, soll ich dir etwas zu essen holen? |
| Hello, what kind of dog do you have, Mike? | Hallo, was für einen Hund hast du, Mike? |
| He looks like he is interested in you! | Es scheint so, als ob er an dir interessiert wäre! |
| I really don't know, but I believe it's more than 100 years old. | Ich weiß es wirklich nicht, aber ich denke älter als 100 Jahre. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not a big problem for him. | Das wusste ich nicht. Ich hoffe es ist kein schlimmes Problem für ihn. |
| Sorry, I hope it doesn't ruin your childhood memories... | Sorry, ich hoffe das hat deine Kindheitserinnerungen nicht ruiniert... |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | Hallo, haben Sie eine Tesco Clubkarte? |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | Welche Art von Musik magst du am meisten? |