







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! |
| I think we should wait for a while till all that smoke disappears. | Ich denke wir sollten warten, bis der ganze Rauch verschwunden ist. |
| Is it because it's too violent? | Weil zu viel Gewalt darin vorkommt? |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Aber Tesco ist größer und hat eine größere Auswahl an Produkten. |
| Yes, they are all around 2 pounds. | Ja, jeder kostet um die 2 Pfund. |
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | Ja, der Frühling ist wahrscheinlich die schlimmste Zeit für Allergien! |
| My laptop is in it. | Mein Laptop ist darin. |
| Hello, I'm very sorry dear, I'm a bit late. | Hallo, es tut mir sehr Leid Schatz. Ich bin etwas zu spät. |
| Do you remember the pub's name? | Erinnerst du dich an den Namen des Pubs? |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Ich kann natürlich kochen, aber nur wenn ich Lust dazu habe. |
| I wake up and make my bed, then tidy my room. | Ich wache auf und mache mein Bett und mache anschließend mein Zimmer sauber. |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | Keine Sorge, alle nehmen sich immer meine Sachen. |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | Das ist nicht leihen, sondern stehlen! |
| Let me check, we only need butter. | Lass mich kurz nachsehen. Wir brauchen nur noch Butter. |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Sollen wir uns an der Haltestelle treffen oder soll ich dich zu Hause abholen? |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | Sie hätte ihre Mutter sein können... Wer weiß? |
| Hello mate, where are you? | Hey Kumpel, wo bist du? |
| Oh, come on dear, I was just joking, you know that... | Oh komm schon, du weißt das ich nur Spaß mache... |
| Are you serious? | Ist das dein Ernst? |
| Depends on where you look. | Kommt darauf an, wo man sucht. |