







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'm really sorry, what kind of sickness is it? | Das tut mir wirklich leid. Was für eine Art Krankheit ist es? |
| Don't you think it's too far away from the tube station? | Denkst du nicht, dass es zu weit weg ist von der U-Bahn Haltestelle? |
| Can you stop acting like I always ask for money? | Kannst du aufhören so zu tun, al ob ich immer nach Geld fragen würde? |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Wir sind zurück. Wo ist Bear? |
| How are you? | Wie geht es dir? |
| Well, I don't think we need to cook too many things at once. | Nun, ich denke wir müssen nicht zu viele Dinge auf einmal kochen. |
| I'm a bit paranoid about it. | Ich bin deswegen ein bisschen paranoid. |
| Hello, my name is Mike, I'm Cate's boyfriend... | Hallo, mein Name ist Mike. Ich bin der Freund von Cate... |
| I don't want you to spend a fortune. | Ich möchte nicht, dass du ein Vermögen ausgibst. |
| It's all your fault! I feel so embarrassed now... | Es ist alles deine Schuld! Ich schäme mich jetzt so sehr... |
| Mike, it is a continent! | Mike, es ist ein Kontinent! |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | Okay, der Geriebene ist heute 20% günstiger. |
| No, I'm a real estate agent. | Nein, ich bin ein Immobilienmakler. |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | Ähm, oh ja, ich kann sie jetzt sehen. Die Anzeigennummer ist 9845... |
| It's not a nice thing to do. | Das ist aber nicht nett. |
| Thanks for offering me that, dear. | Vielen Dank für das Angebot. |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | Oh Gott, ich fühle mich jetzt zu müde. |
| I'm really amazed by the structure of this station. | Ich bin wirklich beeindruckt von diesem Bahnhof. |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Ich mag es auch nicht ins Krankenhaus zu gehen. |
| Are you really asking me that question? | Fragst du mich das gerade wirklich? |