







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 | |
|---|---|
| But that's true, some Chows are a bit aggressive. | Aber stimmt, manche Chow-Chows sind ein bisschen aggressiv. |
| No worries, it's free for you today. | Kein Sorge, sie kosten dich heute nichts. |
| I think 4000 quid is big enough. | Ich denke 4000 Pfund sind nicht wenig. |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Sorry, ich habe vergessen zu erwähnen, dass man den Wasserhahn sehr vorsichtig aufdrehen muss. |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | Und zur Zeit besuche ich diesen Pub ziemlich oft. |
| So it's definitely not a divorce situation. | Also geht es definitiv nicht um eine Scheidung. |
| How much do you pay for your room? | Wie viel zahlst du für dein Zimmer? |
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | Bei Gasherden kann jemand das Gas anlassen. Das ist zu gefährlich! |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Okay, abgemacht! Du hast 3 Tage ab jetzt, um darüber nachzudenken! |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | Oh, sorry! Du machst Dinge nicht gerne sauber. Ich kann es machen. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Übrigens die Kaution beträgt £3000 und ist nicht verhandelbar... |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Hallo, sind Sie Cate? |
| That's nice, I like the music and the lyrics. | Das ist schön. Ich mag die Musik und den Text. |
| Thank you very much! | Vielen Dank! |
| A one year course? What kind of course is it? | Ein einjähriger Kurs? Um was für einen Kurs handelt es sich? |
| Where is Flora, isn't she here? | Wo ist Flora? Ist sie nicht hier? |
| Let me check... Yes, there are some plates. | Lass mich mal schauen... Ja, es gibt ein paar Teller. |
| I don't think it's a suitable movie for kids, dear. | Ich denke nicht, dass der Film für Kinder geeignet ist mein Lieber. |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not a big problem for him. | Das wusste ich nicht. Ich hoffe es ist kein schlimmes Problem für ihn. |
| Yes, it might be, but I'm very busy with some projects these days. | Ja, kann sein, aber ich bin momentan sehr beschäftigt mit ein paar Projekten. |