







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Ja, es ist tatsächlich sehr wichtig für mich. |
| The packets have 2 pieces in them. | Eine Packung enthält 2 Stück. |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Ist Morrison's nicht näher? |
| I hate taking long flights! | Ich hasse Langstreckenflüge! |
| As they say, time is the best medicine. | Wie man sagt, Zeit ist die beste Medizin. |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | Hi, ist dein Kater in Ordnung? |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Ich vermute er will etwas Wasser trinken. |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | Toby, das ist Cate. Sie ist meine... Freundin aus London. |
| Don't worry Diego, it's not related to you! | Keine Sorge Diego, es geht nicht um dich! |
| What's your plan, Cate? | Was ist dein Plan, Cate? |
| Erm, sorry, but I think you have the wrong Mike... | Ähm Entschuldigung, aber ich denke Sie meinen einen anderen Mike... |
| I usually take the train. | Ich nehme normalerweise den Zug. |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | Ja, ich warte hier auf die guten Nachrichten. |
| Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Natürlich, mein Name ist Cate und meine Nummer ist 077... |
| Hey, Cate! Do you need anything? | Hey Cate! Brauchst du etwas? |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Ja, klingt gut! |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | Pogo ist meine kleine Katze. Ist das ein Problem? |
| And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | Und es ist schwer zu glauben, aber er ist sauber. |
| Sometimes he doesn't even recognize my mum. | Manchmal erkennt er nicht mal meine Mutter. |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Das Produkt ist ein Jahr lang haltbar. |