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 | |
---|---|
What kind of trick is that? | Welcher Trick denn? |
I don't think it's a suitable movie for kids, dear. | Ich denke nicht, dass der Film für Kinder geeignet ist mein Lieber. |
Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | Solche verantwortungslosen Menschen machen mich wütend! |
But their room is almost double the size of our room! | Aber ihr Zimmer ist fast doppelt so groß wie unser Zimmer! |
I'm really sorry about that! | Das tut mir wirklich leid! |
That's right, we should never forget how irresponsible my housemates are. | Stimmt, wir sollten niemals vergessen, wie unverantwortlich meine Mitbewohner sind. |
For the risotto, I need some arborio rice. | Ich brauche etwas Arborio-Reis für das Risotto. |
I think one room is empty upstairs at the moment. | Ein Zimmer oben ist momentan frei, soweit ich weiß. |
How long does the flight usually take? | Wie lange dauert der Flug normalerweise? |
Why did you ask, do you want me to boil it? | Warum fragst du? Willst du, dass ich es koche? |
That's very interesting! | Das ist sehr interessant! |
Why is that? | Warum nicht? |
What else do we need? | Was brauchen wir sonst noch? |
But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | Aber ich glaube nicht, dass ich alle verwenden kann. Es sind zu viele! |
I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | Es tut mir leid zu sagen, dass es nichts besonders ist. |
No, I don't have one! | Nein, ich habe keine! |
What do you do? | Was arbeitest du? |
He is a Chow Chow. | Er ist ein Chow-Chow. |
Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Ja, das ist normal. Er faucht manchmal sogar meine neuen Socken an! |
Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | Danke Papa. Wo ist Bears Leine? |