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 a web designer. | Ich bin ein Web Designer. |
And on the ground floor we have easy access to the garden. | Und im Erdgeschoss haben wir direkten Zugang zum Garten. |
Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | Öhm... Solange deine Hände noch schmutzig sind... |
Really? How do I wake you up? | Echt? Wie wecke ich dich auf? |
Do you need to wake up early tomorrow or something? | Musst du morgen früh aufstehen? |
I live very close by. | Ich wohne hier in der Nähe. |
We call it a sixth sense! | Wir nennen es den sechsten Sinn! |
Oh sorry, unfortunately, that one is reserved. | Oh, tut mir leid, aber dieser Tisch ist leider reserviert. |
Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | Hallo Mike, ganz gut und dir? |
Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Ja, es ist tatsächlich sehr wichtig für mich. |
I'm happy to hear that. | Das freut mich zu hören. |
I know, I thought you might like to have it with her alone. | Ich weiß, aber ich dachte du würdest gerne mit ihr alleine frühstücken. |
I wish you all the best. | Ich wünsche dir alles gute. |
And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | Und jetzt sind mir ein Haufen Pilze übrig geblieben, die ich verwenden kann. |
You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | Du klingst wie eine Mischung aus britisch und australisch. |
Oh, come on dear, I was just joking, you know that... | Oh komm schon, du weißt das ich nur Spaß mache... |
I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Ich kann natürlich kochen, aber nur wenn ich Lust dazu habe. |
Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | Na ja, ich bin es gewohnt heute schlechte Nachrichten zu bekommen. Was ist los? |
So it's definitely not a divorce situation. | Also geht es definitiv nicht um eine Scheidung. |
As I said, it's much easier to open with two people. | Wie gesagt, sie ist einfach mit zwei Menschen zu öffnen. |