







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 | |
|---|---|
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Nun, ich denke wir alle müssen bald gehen. |
| Then he finds out he is a robot, not a real kid. | Dann findet er heraus, dass er ein Robotoer ist und kein echtes Kind. |
| Oh, your girlfriend's cat... Does she live here with you? | Oh, die Katze deiner Freundin... Lebt sie hier mit dir? |
| Um, on this floor, it's only me and a French girl next door. | Hier nur ich und ein französisches Mädchen nebenan. |
| Why? I never put a question mark when I search something! | Warum? Ich verwende nie ein Fragezeichen, wenn ich nach etwas suche! |
| Do we have a sieve? | Haben wir ein Sieb? |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | Wir sind heute unterwegs für Laura. |
| There are some vending machines in the station. | Es gibt ein paar Automaten im Bahnhof. |
| I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | Es tut mir leid, aber wir müssen unser Treffen heute absagen. |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Es tut mir Leid, aber es sind keine Tiere im Haus erlaubt! |
| What's the reason for the cancellation this time? | Was ist diesmal der Grund dafür? |
| I like girls' nights out. | Ich mag Frauenabende. |
| Is it because it's too violent? | Weil zu viel Gewalt darin vorkommt? |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | In diesen Fällen bleibt Pogo alleine zuhause, ohne Essen und ohne Aufmerksamkeit. |
| I don't think it's possible to find anymore variations. | Ich denke nicht, dass es möglich ist mehr Variationen zu finden. |
| 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... |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | Sie hätte ihre Mutter sein können... Wer weiß? |
| Wow, that's unbelievable, is it yours? | Wow, nicht zu glauben. Gehört er dir? |
| I took Bear out and I'm just about to leave. | Ich war mit Bear draußen und bin gerade dabei zu gehen. |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalerweise kostet er viel mehr als die anderen. |