







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? |
| That's nice, the cupboards look good, the bench is okay... | Das ist schön. Die Schränke sehen gut aus. Die Bank ist okay... |
| You are absolutely right! | Du hast absolut Recht! |
| That's a good choice, they do great calamari here, too. | Das ist eine gute Entscheidung. Die Tintenfische hier sind großartig. |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | Alles ist so wie beworben. |
| Erm.. Isn't it there? | Hm.. Ist sie nicht dort? |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | Hallo, haben Sie eine Tesco Clubkarte? |
| Oh f*ck off, I've got to go now... | Oh hau ab. Ich muss jetzt gehen... |
| Is that what you want to do? | Möchtest du das? |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | Nein, ich habe echt schlimme Allergien. |
| But for how many people? | Aber für wie viele Personen? |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Übrigens die Kaution beträgt £3000 und ist nicht verhandelbar... |
| Do we have any paper towels? | Haben wir irgendwelches Küchenpapier? |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Ähm... Wir sind verheiratet... Ich meinte heute ist unser Hochzeitsjubiläum! |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | Ich habe noch zwei Unterrichtsstunden. Ich bin um dreiuhrdreißig fertig. |
| Because I'm sure they don't serve bugs in London! | Weil ich mir sicher bin, dass sie keine Käfer in London servieren! |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh wirklich? Das ist nicht gut. |
| Okay, what temperature do you want me to set it at? | Okay, auf welche Temperatur soll ich ihn stellen? |
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | Echt? Ich möchte deinen Plan nicht ruinieren, aber... |
| I'm okay, how are you? | Mir geht's gut und dir? |