







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 hope your friends don't mind. | Ich hoffe deinen Freunden macht das nichts aus. |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | Hallo, es ist aber nicht Dick, sondern Nick... Fängt mit einem N an. |
| I hate taking long flights! | Ich hasse Langstreckenflüge! |
| There is one at 11:00 and the next one is at 11:20. | Es gibt einen um 11:00 Uhr und der Nächste kommt um 11:20 Uhr. |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Wessen Katze?... Meinst du meine Katze? |
| So does that mean you don't want to stay with me? | Bedeutet das also, dass du nicht länger hierbleiben möchtest? |
| I didn't say it's your fault, but it's your turn now... | Ich habe nicht gesagt, dass es deine Schuld ist, aber du bist jetzt dran... |
| Oh f*ck off, I've got to go now... | Oh hau ab. Ich muss jetzt gehen... |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Ja, das ist normal. Er faucht manchmal sogar meine neuen Socken an! |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Ich vermute er will etwas Wasser trinken. |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Eine Wohnung ist keine gute Idee wegen Bear, da es keinen Garten gibt. |
| Hey, Cate! Do you need anything? | Hey Cate! Brauchst du etwas? |
| For the risotto, I need some arborio rice. | Ich brauche etwas Arborio-Reis für das Risotto. |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Ähm... Wir sind verheiratet... Ich meinte heute ist unser Hochzeitsjubiläum! |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Ich bin wirklich beeindruckt von diesem Bahnhof. |
| Because I don't want to waste more time finding a new house... | Weil ich nicht mehr Zeit damit verschwenden möchten ein neues Haus zu finden... |
| Well, one of them is 2,800, but bills are not included... | Nun, eines kostet 2800, aber die Nebenkosten sind nicht inklusive... |
| It's half past 4, so we are here right on time. | Es ist 16:30 Uhr, also sind wir pünktlich. |
| But maybe they are splitting up, I don't know yet. | Aber vielleicht trennen sie sich. Bisher weiß ich es aber nicht. |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | 50% von 135 sind 67,50... Und insgesamt macht das 202,50. |