







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 | |
|---|---|
| It sounds like a good deal. | Das hört sich nach einem guten Deal an. |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Hast du irgendwelche Geschwister? |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Ist dein Hund ein Chow-Chow? |
| No, no, nothing is wrong, no need to worry, we are all fine... | Nein, nein, alles ist in Ordnung. Keine Sorge uns allen geht es gut... |
| I think I've got a better idea about what to do with the bed! | Ich denke ich habe eine bessere Idee, was wir mit dem Bett machen können! |
| Bacon and eggs with some olives is enough for me. | Speck mit Eiern und ein paar Oliven reichen mir aus. |
| Huh, it's quite good money! | Oh, das ist ziemlich viel Geld! |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | Übrigens, ich mag die Farbe der Wände... Was denkst du? |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | Ich mag ein paar Songs von Jamiroquai, aber nicht alle. |
| I like girls' nights out. | Ich mag Frauenabende. |
| He is fine. | Er ist in Ordnung. |
| Where is my f*cking tenner? | Wo ist mein verd*mmter Zehner? |
| Is it hay fever? I've got some pills for it! | Ist es Heuschnupfen? Ich habe ein paar Tabletten dafür! |
| It says best before 25th of February. | Hier steht: Mindestens haltbar bis zum 25. Februar. |
| There is also some cheese, but it's a bit mouldy. | Es gibt auch ein bisschen Käse, aber der ist schon etwas schimmelig. |
| Hm, it's comes to roughly £150 a week, it's about the same. | Hm, das sind grob £150 pro Woche. Ungefähr genauso viel. |
| I guess mine is older than yours! | Ich schätze meiner ist älter als deiner! |
| Actually, it's quite urgent for me. | Eigentlich ist es ziemlich dringend für mich. |
| That's not nice, Mike! | Das ist nicht nett Mike! |
| It's all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | Es geht ausschließlich um meine kleine Liebe Katze Pogo. |