







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's very difficult to talk to you on the phone right now. | Es ist momentan sehr schwer mit dir zu telefonieren. |
| Ah, I'm very sorry, but we're fully booked tonight! | Ähm, es tut mir Leid, aber wir sind heute Abend ausgebucht! |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | Was hätte ich sonst tun sollen? Erwartest du, dass ich nicht mehr schlafe bis ich sterbe? |
| I'm just teasing you, dear, 200 degrees is okay! | Ich mache nur Spass! 200 Grad sind okay! |
| No, this one is the shop's own brand, that's why it's not expensive. | Nein, bei diesem Reis handelt es sich um die Eigenmarke des Geschäfts. Deswegen ist er nicht teuer. |
| Do you like train rides, too? | Magst du auch Zugfahrten? |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | Die Katze gehört nicht wirklich mir. Es ist die Katze meiner Freundin. |
| I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | Ich hoffe das ist die falsche Adresse! Es sieht grauenvoll aus. |
| But it's my favourite restaurant... | Aber es ist mein Lieblingsrestaurant... |
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | Letzte Nacht hatten wir lange geöffnet und du kennst ihre Ausrede. |
| 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! |
| It's a kind of welcoming party for her. | Es ist ein Art Willkommensparty für sie. |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | Okay, wir sind hier. Das ist die Honeybrook Straße. |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Ist dein Hund ein Chow-Chow? |
| Bear's sitting here with me, his willy is out. | Bear sitzt hier mit mir. Sein Pimmel ist draußen. |
| How old are you? | Wie alt bist du? |
| Sorry, I hope it doesn't ruin your childhood memories... | Sorry, ich hoffe das hat deine Kindheitserinnerungen nicht ruiniert... |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | Egal, ich muss auch auf die Toilette gehen... |
| What genre do you listen to? | Welche Musikrichtung hörst du? |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Hallo gnädige Frau, sind Sie immer noch da? |