







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 | |
|---|---|
| There is nothing much left to do, there are only bits and pieces. | Gibt es außer Kleinigkeiten nicht mehr viel zu tun. |
| Sorry to ask, but are you on your period or something? | Sorry für die Frage, aber hast du deine Tage? |
| No, it's the owner, she is an old lady and very strict about that. | Nein, es liegt an der Hausbesitzerin. Sie ist eine alte Dame und sie ist sehr strikt in diesem Punkt. |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | Vielen Dank, ich bin 26. |
| Who the f*ck is that, what's the time? | Wer zum Teufel ist das? Wie spät ist es? |
| Oh look at this big boy, he gets bigger everytime I see him! | Oh schau dir den großen Jungen an. Er wird jedes mal größer, wenn ich ihn sehe! |
| Hm, it's comes to roughly £150 a week, it's about the same. | Hm, das sind grob £150 pro Woche. Ungefähr genauso viel. |
| My beard makes me look older, I think. | Ich denke, mein Bart lässt mich älter aussehen. |
| Bear's sitting here with me, his willy is out. | Bear sitzt hier mit mir. Sein Pimmel ist draußen. |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Ich kann natürlich kochen, aber nur wenn ich Lust dazu habe. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Ja, klingt gut! |
| That's not nice, Mike! | Das ist nicht nett Mike! |
| So I don't snore everyday... | Also schnarche ich nicht jeden Tag... |
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | Sorry, aber sie servieren hier keine Pommes... |
| Do you have another one? | Hast du ein anderes? |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | Es ist nicht nett so etwas zu einer Frau zu sagen... |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Wir sind zurück. Wo ist Bear? |
| Is one bunch enough for you? | Reicht dir ein Bündel? |
| He is the bartender. | Er ist der Barkeeper. |
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | Echt? Ich möchte deinen Plan nicht ruinieren, aber... |