







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 | |
|---|---|
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | Danke. Ja, wie ich gesagte habe, Camden ist in Zone 2... |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Sorry, ich habe vergessen zu erwähnen, dass man den Wasserhahn sehr vorsichtig aufdrehen muss. |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | Ich koche meistens Fleisch-, Fisch- und Hühnchengerichte. |
| It's got some water marks on it! | Es hat Wasserflecken! |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | Das ist so traurig. Wie alt sind deine Eltern? |
| Don't you think it's too far away from the tube station? | Denkst du nicht, dass es zu weit weg ist von der U-Bahn Haltestelle? |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | Jedenfalls das ist Cate und ihre Freundinnen aus der Arbeit. |
| It's a double room plus we get a cleaner once a week. | Es ist ein Doppelzimmer und eine Putzfrau kommt einmal pro Woche. |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Ist Morrison's nicht näher? |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | Er ist 70 und meine Mutter ist 64. |
| I like the seafood restaurants there. | Ich mag die Fischrestaurants dort. |
| I hope you are aware it's your last 3 days to find a house... | Ich hoffe du bist dir bewusst, dass du nur noch 3 Tage hast, ein Haus zu finden... |
| Why don't we pay 100 more each, and get a house in Mayfair? | Warum zahlt nicht jeder von uns 100 mehr und wir holen uns ein Haus in Mayfair? |
| Hmm.. yes, I need mushrooms, stock, celery... | Hmm.. ja, ich brauche Pilze, Brühe, Sellerie... |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | Sie haben auch drei große Fenster in ihrem Zimmer! |
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | Letzte Nacht hatten wir lange geöffnet und du kennst ihre Ausrede. |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | Australien hat sehr strikte Zollvorschriften. |
| I think one room is empty upstairs at the moment. | Ein Zimmer oben ist momentan frei, soweit ich weiß. |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Ist dein Hund ein Chow-Chow? |
| I'm sorry but I have bad news about the room... | Es tut mir Leid, aber ich habe schlechte Nachrichten über das Zimmer... |