







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 | |
|---|---|
| How are things going, is everything ok? | Wie läufts, alles okay? |
| She is doing well, we have 3 months left to go. | Es ist alles in Ordnung. Wir haben noch 3 Monate. |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | Sie hätte ihre Mutter sein können... Wer weiß? |
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | Nein, aber darauf habe ich Hunger... |
| I want him to check the heaters in the rooms while he is here! | Ich möchte, dass er sich die Heizungen in den Zimmern ansieht, während er hier ist! |
| Good boy, Beary! See, he is just a little friend. | Guter Junge, Beary! Siehst du? Er ist nur ein kleiner Freund. |
| See you Mike, hope to see you again. | Tschüss Mike, ich hoffe man sieht sich wieder. |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | Ich bin auf dem Weg nach Brighton. Fast da! |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Öhm, ich komme nicht drauf. Ich denke, es sind mehr als 150 Jahre. |
| I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | Ich hasse es, wenn sie die ganze Nacht an meinem Ohr herumfliegen und mich aufwecken. |
| For the risotto, I need some arborio rice. | Ich brauche etwas Arborio-Reis für das Risotto. |
| That's why the rent is much lower than average. | Deswegen ist die Miete auch viel niedriger als im Durchschnitt. |
| I took Bear out and I'm just about to leave. | Ich war mit Bear draußen und bin gerade dabei zu gehen. |
| Is it because of the cost, or another reason? | Wegen den Kosten oder gibt es einen anderen Grund? |
| But for how many people? | Aber für wie viele Personen? |
| It makes all of our clothes stink! | Alle unsere Klamotten stinken dadurch! |
| Your perfectly shaped mushrooms are ready! | Deine perfekt geformten Pilze sind fertig! |
| That's a very interesting combination. | Das ist eine sehr interessante Kombination. |
| How long does it usually take? | Wie lange dauert das normalerweise? |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | Ich weiß nicht wirklich, was ist deiner? |