







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hello mate, where are you? | Hey Kumpel, wo bist du? |
| I hope it’s not serious. | Ich hoffe es ist nichts schlimmes. |
| I think so, he can look around while Bear is not here. | Ich denke ja, damit er sich umschauen kann, solange Bear nicht hier ist. |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Also hast du offensichtlich keine Ahnung was es kostet ein Haus zu mieten. |
| Where is Flora, isn't she here? | Wo ist Flora? Ist sie nicht hier? |
| Yes, the guy with the beard is Mike. | Ja, der Kerl mit dem Bart ist Mike. |
| I think you wake me up more often than mosquitoes do! | Ich denke du weckst mich öfter auf als die Stechmücken! |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | Hi, ich denke nicht, dass es gebrochen ist. |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Ähm, apropos, da wir gerade beim Thema sind... |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Öhm, ich komme nicht drauf. Ich denke, es sind mehr als 150 Jahre. |
| Is it the one with the blue tongue? | Ist es die mit der blauen Zunge? |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Echt? Wie wecke ich dich auf? |
| Exactly, I hate getting woken up in the middle of the night! | Genau. Ich hasse es mitten in der Nacht aufgewckt zu werden! |
| Yes, that's the one. | Ja, genau die. |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | Ich koche meistens Fleisch-, Fisch- und Hühnchengerichte. |
| Anyway, you only have 10 days left to leave that house. | Egal, du hast also 10 Tage Zeit das Haus zu verlassen. |
| You are lucky! | Du hast Glück! |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | Ich hoffe dann, dass sie kein problematischer Teenager ist... |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Hallo mein Freund, wie geht es dir? |
| He must be sleeping, he usually works at night, too. | Er muss noch schlafen. Er arbeitet normalerweise auch nachts. |