







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 | |
|---|---|
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | Gibt es ein Problem mit dem Akku deines Telefons? |
| He is fine. | Er ist in Ordnung. |
| I don't think we need to pay for it. | Ich denke nicht, dass wir dafür zahlen müssen. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | Was ist die Schlimmste? Den Abwasch machen oder saubermachen? |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | Nun, ich denke wir alle müssen bald gehen. |
| Do you want me to put it in the bin? | Soll ich sie in den Müll werfen? |
| 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... |
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | Soll ich das Hühnchen als Erstes in den Kochtopf legen? |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | Hallo Leute, du musst Cate sein, ich bin Joseph. |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Fühlst du dich mittlerweile etwas besser? |
| He's a... Sorry Mike, what do you do? | Er ist ein...entschuldige Mike, was arbeitest du? |
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | Natürlich, ich denke 2 Tomaten reichen aus. |
| It's £135 per week! | £135 pro Woche! |
| How long does it usually take? | Wie lange dauert das normalerweise? |
| If you are going to ask for money, I don't have any, either. | Wenn du nach Geld fragen willst, ich habe auch keins. |
| Well, it's about a kid, I mean a robot. | Nun, es geht um ein Kind, ähm, ich meinte einen Roboter. |
| That's not nice, Mike! | Das ist nicht nett Mike! |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | Genau, denkst du also Schnecken sind Käfer oder nicht? |
| Don't worry, I don't like having a very heavy breakfast. | Keine Sorge, ich mag kein wirklich schweres Frühstück. |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | Das ist so traurig. Wie alt sind deine Eltern? |