







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 | |
|---|---|
| We all love bank holidays. | Wir alle lieben Bankfeiertage. |
| Hmm.. yes, I need mushrooms, stock, celery... | Hmm.. ja, ich brauche Pilze, Brühe, Sellerie... |
| Is that a crack in the bath? | Ist das ein Riss in der Badewanne? |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | Ja, ich mag es Lasagne einen Tag nach der Zubereitung zu essen. Sie schmeckt besser. |
| Nope, I don't cook fancy things, only regular dishes. | Nein, ich koche keine aufwendigen Gerichte, nur gewöhnliche Sachen. |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | Ich hoffe dann, dass sie kein problematischer Teenager ist... |
| It definitely costs a lot, but that's not the only problem. | Es kostet definitiv eine Menge, aber das ist nicht der einzige Grund. |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | Hallo, haben Sie eine Tesco Clubkarte? |
| My housemates don't clean anything in the kitchen. | Meine Mitbewohner machen nichts in der Küche sauber. |
| I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | Ich brauche etwas Petersilie, aber die sieht ein bisschen welk aus. |
| But he hisses occasionally, is it normal? | Aber er faucht manchmal. Ist das normal? |
| Which website do you use? | Welche Webseite verwendest du? |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | Es ist immer noch £5 mehr als für das große Zimmer! |
| The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | Das Rezept stammt nicht aus dem Internet. Es ist aus einem Jamie Oliver Buch. |
| Yeah, I've got it! | Ja, ich habe ihn! |
| That's right, we should never forget how irresponsible my housemates are. | Stimmt, wir sollten niemals vergessen, wie unverantwortlich meine Mitbewohner sind. |
| Sorry, I hope it doesn't ruin your childhood memories... | Sorry, ich hoffe das hat deine Kindheitserinnerungen nicht ruiniert... |
| You are very funny mate. | Sehr witzig. |
| Yeah, I guess normally you go to work around 06:30. | Ja, ich denke du gehst normalerweise so um 06:30 Uhr rum zu Arbeit. |
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | Oh nein! Sind Sie sicher, dass nichts verfügbar ist? |