







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Ja, klingt gut! |
| Eating leftovers during the week saves me some time. | Es spart mir Zeit das übrig gebliebene Essen, während der Woche, zu essen. |
| The place I am having the meeting is very close to Brighton Pier. | Der Ort an dem ich mein Meeting habe, ist ganz in der Nähe vom Kai in Brighton. |
| I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | Es tut mir leid zu sagen, dass es nichts besonders ist. |
| But Bear has got hip dysplasia. | Aber Bear hat eine Fehlbildung der Hüfte. |
| How old are you? | Wie alt bist du? |
| I'm checking again, there are only two forks and a teaspoon! | Ich schau nochmal nach. Es gibt nur zwei Gabeln und einen Teelöffel! |
| Do you have their number? | Hast du ihre Nummer? |
| But everybody calls him Rocco. | Aber jeder nennt ihn Rocco. |
| Okay, how much salt do you want me to add? | Okay, wie viel Salz soll ich hinzufügen? |
| It's almost 09:30. | Es ist fast 09:30 Uhr. |
| Then I want to roast it, though. | Dann will ich es aber braten. |
| How long does the flight usually take? | Wie lange dauert der Flug normalerweise? |
| How much do you pay for your room? | Wie viel zahlst du für dein Zimmer? |
| What line is it on? | Auf welcher Linie liegt Camden? |
| I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | Ich denke nicht, dass es möglich ist mehr Variationen zu finden. |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | Weil sich die anderen beschweren, wenn ich dort rauche. |
| Actually, it's quite urgent for me. | Eigentlich ist es ziemlich dringend für mich. |
| Yes, I can hear you, but I don't understand! | Ja, ich höre dich, aber ich verstehe es nicht! |
| Do we have a sieve? | Haben wir ein Sieb? |