







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 was just joking, how are you? | Das war nur ein Witz, wie geht es dir? |
| Anyway, my lesson is starting now, I have to go. | Wie auch immer, mein Unterricht beginnt jetzt. Ich muss auflegen. |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | Ja, es war ziemlich einfach. Ich lebe ganz in der Nähe. |
| That's nice, I guess I like the house very much! | Sieht gut aus. Ich denke ich mag das Haus sehr! |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Okay, ich denke ich weiß wer er ist. |
| Nope, as I said before, they live in Australia. | Nein, wie ich schon erwähnt habe, leben sie in Australien. |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | Er ist ein Klempner, Schatz. Scheinbar ist die Toilette verstopft. |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | Ja, ich warte hier auf die guten Nachrichten. |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | Und jetzt sind mir ein Haufen Pilze übrig geblieben, die ich verwenden kann. |
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | Mein Vater ist Brite und meine Mutter ist Australierin. |
| What's wrong with him? | Was stimmt nicht mit ihm? |
| Yes, sorry, everything seems filthy, but believe me, it's not my fault! | Ja, tut mir leid, dass scheinbar alles schmutzig ist, aber glaub mir, es ist nicht meine Schuld! |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | Ähm... Ja... Klar! Es ist unser erstes Jubiläum! |
| Let me check... Yes, there are some plates. | Lass mich mal schauen... Ja, es gibt ein paar Teller. |
| What's the date today? | Welches Datum haben wir heute? |
| My favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. | Mein Lieblingsfilm ist Pulp Fiction. |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | Wir sind heute unterwegs für Laura. |
| Hello Beatrix, it's me, Cate. | Hallo Beatrix, ich bin es, Cate. |
| Then people come and complain to me! | Dann kommen die Leute und beschweren sich bei mir! |
| How much do you pay for your room? | Wie viel zahlst du für dein Zimmer? |