







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 | |
|---|---|
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Öhm, ich komme nicht drauf. Ich denke, es sind mehr als 150 Jahre. |
| How long does it usually take? | Wie lange dauert das normalerweise? |
| Nope, it gives me a headache! | Nein, davon bekomme ich Kopfschmerzen! |
| Who is Mike, darling? | Wer ist Mike, meine Liebe? |
| No, this one is the shop's own brand, that's why it's not expensive. | Nein, bei diesem Reis handelt es sich um die Eigenmarke des Geschäfts. Deswegen ist er nicht teuer. |
| Which website do you use? | Welche Webseite verwendest du? |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | Die Katze gehört nicht wirklich mir. Es ist die Katze meiner Freundin. |
| It sounds like a good deal. | Das hört sich nach einem guten Deal an. |
| Kisses to you, too, I'll call you when I get there! | Ich schicke dir auch Küsse. Ich werde dich anrufen, wenn ich dort bin! |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Das Produkt ist ein Jahr lang haltbar. |
| Is that right? | Stimmt das? |
| I think so, at least there is no aggression. | Ich denke schon. Zumindest gibt es keine Aggression. |
| It's got some water marks on it! | Es hat Wasserflecken! |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Du siehst mir nicht aus wie eine Englischlehrerin. |
| Can you stop acting like I always ask for money? | Kannst du aufhören so zu tun, al ob ich immer nach Geld fragen würde? |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | Warte kurz. Beide wiegen 300g und sind von derselben Marke. |
| When I have free time. | Wenn ich Zeit habe. |
| Not long, my lessons start at 12:30. | Nicht lange. Mein Unterricht beginnt um 12:30 Uhr. |
| Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | Oder schlimmer noch, sie veranstalten eine Hausparty! |
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | Vielleicht bevorzugen sie aus Sicherheitsgründen elektrische Herde in Gemeinschaftshäusern. |