







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 | |
|---|---|
| I don't want to talk about this issue in this house. | Ich möchte darüber in diesem Haus nicht sprechen. |
| So I want to cook as much as I can now. | Deswegen will ich jetzt so viel wie möglich kochen. |
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | Glückwunsch... Aber ist Pogo der Name eines Haustiers? |
| It's impossible for me to commute from zone-9 to 1 everyday. | Es ist unmöglich für mich täglich zwischen Zone 9 und Zone 1 zu pendeln. |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | Ähm... Sie zahlen 170 pro Woche. |
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | Schau. Du kannst den Sonnenuntergang am besten von dieser Stelle aus betrachten. |
| Well this is how it is... do you want to see upstairs? | Nun, so ist es halt... Möchten Sie sich das obere Stockwerk ansehen? |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Möchtest du also, dass ich alleine nach einem Haus suche? |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Ich arbeite heute nur 3 Stunden. |
| I don't like their chardonnay. | Ich mag ihren Chardonnay nicht. |
| 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... |
| I'm an English teacher. | Ich bin Englischlehrerin. |
| I'm a bit paranoid about it. | Ich bin deswegen ein bisschen paranoid. |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | Ich kann nicht glauben, dass du es immer noch nicht verstanden hast! |
| He is a Chow Chow. | Er ist ein Chow-Chow. |
| I am 24. | Ich bin 24. |
| Is there a knife? | Gibt es ein Messer? |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Fühlst du dich mittlerweile etwas besser? |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | Ja, es war ziemlich einfach. Ich lebe ganz in der Nähe. |
| Yes, I think she's great! | Ja, ich denke sie ist großartig! |