







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 | |
|---|---|
| It won't change anything, but reminding me is stressing me out! | Es wird nichts ändern, aber es stresst mich, wenn ich daran erinnert werde! |
| It's Marvin Gaye, from the 60's, but this is the remix. | Marvin Gaye aus den 60ern, aber das ist der Remix. |
| No worries, I am not together with Mike. | Kein Problem, ich bin nicht mit Mike zusammen. |
| It's all your fault! I feel so embarrassed now... | Es ist alles deine Schuld! Ich schäme mich jetzt so sehr... |
| It's in Islington, zone-1, it's the best place for me so far. | In Islington in Zone 1. Das ist für mich momentan der beste Ort. |
| Don't worry Diego, it's not related to you! | Keine Sorge Diego, es geht nicht um dich! |
| Is it big money? | Geht es um viel Geld? |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Hey, das Wasser kocht. Soll ich es in einen Topf schütten? |
| 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! |
| Is there a knife? | Gibt es ein Messer? |
| What else do we need? | Was brauchen wir sonst noch? |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Natürlich! Es ist einer meiner Lieblingspubs. |
| Because you are in it. | Du bist dabei. |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | Ich mag es auch nicht ins Krankenhaus zu gehen. |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | Übrigens, ich mag die Farbe der Wände... Was denkst du? |
| Which website do you use? | Welche Webseite verwendest du? |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | Das ist so traurig. Wie alt sind deine Eltern? |
| Erm, sorry, but I think you have the wrong Mike... | Ähm Entschuldigung, aber ich denke Sie meinen einen anderen Mike... |
| Well, instead of chicken you can try the duck, it's yummy! | Nun, statt des Hühnchens kannst du die Ente ausprobieren. Die schmeckt lecker! |
| Exactly, one of them is asking for 3,500, the other one is 3,000... | Genau, einmal wird 3500 verlangt und beim anderen Haus 3000... |