







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 | |
|---|---|
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mein Mann und ich wissen das wirklich zu schätzen. |
| I'm checking again, there are only two forks and a teaspoon! | Ich schau nochmal nach. Es gibt nur zwei Gabeln und einen Teelöffel! |
| I need to wake him up now! | Ich muss ihn jetzt aufwecken! |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | Ich denke auch, dass Langestreckenflüge nicht sehr angenehm sind. |
| I don't mind sitting outside as long as I'm not cold. | Es macht mir nichts aus draußen zu sitzen, solange mir nicht kalt ist. |
| Hello Beatrix, it's me, Cate. | Hallo Beatrix, ich bin es, Cate. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not serious. | Das wusste ich nicht. Ich hoffe es ist nichts Ernstes. |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | Sie ist halb Japanerin, halb Australierin. |
| Anyway, my lesson is starting now, I have to go. | Wie auch immer, mein Unterricht beginnt jetzt. Ich muss auflegen. |
| Hello, I'm very sorry dear, I'm a bit late. | Hallo, es tut mir sehr Leid Schatz. Ich bin etwas zu spät. |
| It's not a big deal but it's quite an important thing to mention. | Es ist nicht so wichtig, aber etwas, das man definitiv erwähnen sollte. |
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | Cate, ist alles in Ordnung? Du scheinst ein bisschen aggressiv zu sein. |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | Du klingst wie eine Mischung aus britisch und australisch. |
| Sorry, the line is very bad! | Sorry, die Verbindung ist sehr schlecht! |
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | Genau, einmal wird 3500 verlangt und beim anderen Haus 3000... |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | Und das ist meine Freundin Cate. |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | Danke Rocco, das ist alles soweit. |
| 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. |
| I mean, do you cook Asian or other kinds of cuisines? | Ich meine, kochst du asiatische Speisen oder Gerichte aus anderen Ländern? |
| So I don't snore everyday... | Also schnarche ich nicht jeden Tag... |