







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 | |
|---|---|
| He wants to, but tonight it's impossible. | Er will, aber heute Abend ist es unmöglich. |
| Why do you think it's weird? | Warum denkst du es ist eigenartig? |
| Upstairs, there is Diego and a British couple next to him. | Oben leben Diego und ein britisches Paar daneben. |
| I guess mine is older than yours! | Ich schätze meiner ist älter als deiner! |
| I guess so, but I want to finish seeing all the houses today. | Ich denke schon, aber ich will es schaffen heute alle Häuser anzuschauen. |
| So I don't snore everyday... | Also schnarche ich nicht jeden Tag... |
| Look, there is a shop assistant. | Schau, dort ist ein Verkäufer. |
| Bear hates being at a vet, too. | Bear hasst es auch beim Tierarzt zu sein. |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Das Produkt ist ein Jahr lang haltbar. |
| Okay, how long is it, do you know? | Okay, wie lang ist sie? Weißt du das? |
| Yeah, I'll have a beer, I guess you want wine, Cate? | Ja, ich möchte gerne ein Bier. Ich schätze du möchtest Wein Cate, oder? |
| 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. |
| I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering names sometimes! | Es tut mir Leid, aber ich kann mir manchmal Namen nicht merken! |
| Welcome to the Diamond Duck, do you have a reservation, sir? | Willkommen zum Diamond Duck. Haben Sie eine Reservierung mein Herr? |
| I want to be sober and energetic for tomorrow. | Ich möchte nüchtern und voller Energie für morgen sein. |
| Do they weigh them here or at the checkout? | Werden sie hier gewogen oder an der Kasse? |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | Soll ich etwas anderes machen? |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | Was ist die Schlimmste? Den Abwasch machen oder saubermachen? |
| I hope they are going to be here on time, too... I don't like waiting. | Ich hoffe sie werden auch pünktlich hier sein... Ich mag es nicht zu warten. |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | Ich bin hungrig, aber es ist besser etwas zu essen, wenn wir die Jungs treffen. |