







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 | |
|---|---|
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | Der Rest des Hauses ist in Ordnung, aber die Küche ist etwas schmutzig. |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | Ich habe keine Ahnung... Aber ich hoffe die Person hat einen guten Grund! |
| I can't call him at the moment because his phone is unreachable. | Ich kann ihn momentan nicht anrufen, weil er nicht erreichbar ist. |
| Look at the shelf, the price tag says £2.20 a kilo. | Schau auf's Regal. Laut Preisschild kostet er £2,20 pro Kilo. |
| You know some people don't like putting their ad on the internet. | Manche Menschen mögen es nicht ihre Anzeige ins Internet zu stellen. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Übrigens die Kaution beträgt £3000 und ist nicht verhandelbar... |
| But which button? It doesn't show which controls which! | Aber welcher Knopf? Man kann nicht sehen, welcher Knopf, was steuert! |
| Can I get you some more drinks? | Sollen ich Ihnen zuerst nachschenken? |
| My favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. | Mein Lieblingsfilm ist Pulp Fiction. |
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | Oh nein! Sind Sie sicher, dass nichts verfügbar ist? |
| Really? Sade is one of my favourites, too. | Echt? Sade gehört auch zu meinen Favoriten. |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | Ich kann nicht glauben, dass du es immer noch nicht verstanden hast! |
| You look a bit sad, are you okay? | Du siehst etwas trauring aus, geht es dir gut? |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Nicht wirklich! Ich koche nicht wirklich gern. |
| It sounds like a good deal. | Das hört sich nach einem guten Deal an. |
| It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | Es ist schwer zu glauben, aber wir haben einen Dampfdrucktopf im Haus. |
| But for how many people? | Aber für wie viele Personen? |
| I'm sorry but I have bad news about the room... | Es tut mir Leid, aber ich habe schlechte Nachrichten über das Zimmer... |
| Yes, I have got two sisters. | Ja, ich habe zwei Schwestern. |
| It sounds important. | Das klingt sehr wichtig. |