







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 | |
|---|---|
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | Glückwunsch... Aber ist Pogo der Name eines Haustiers? |
| I'm checking again, there are only two forks and a teaspoon! | Ich schau nochmal nach. Es gibt nur zwei Gabeln und einen Teelöffel! |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | Oh Gott, das ist die zweitschlimmste Tätigkeit in der Küche! |
| I hate taking long flights! | Ich hasse Langstreckenflüge! |
| Nothing, 'cause I don't know what the woman looks like. | Nichts, weil ich nicht weiß wie die Frau aussieht. |
| But he hisses occasionally, is it normal? | Aber er faucht manchmal. Ist das normal? |
| Okay, I don't like cooking, but I like tasting food. | Okay, ich koche nicht gerne, aber ich probiere gerne Essen aus. |
| Then I want to roast it, though. | Dann will ich es aber braten. |
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | Ich denke nicht, dass das nötig ist, da es alle 20 Minuten einen Zug gibt. |
| Hello mate, where are you? | Hey Kumpel, wo bist du? |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | Danke Papa. Wo ist Bears Leine? |
| Oh sorry, unfortunately, that one is reserved. | Oh, tut mir leid, aber dieser Tisch ist leider reserviert. |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | Danke. Ja, wie ich gesagte habe, Camden ist in Zone 2... |
| No she is a very cute, easygoing and friendly girl. | Nein, sie ist ein sehr süßes, lockeres und freundliches Mädchen. |
| Are you serious? | Ist das dein Ernst? |
| When you stop believing we can get a house in Mayfair for 2,400! | Wenn du aufhörst zu glauben, dass wir ein Haus in Mayfair für 2400 mieten können! |
| It seems there is no one in the house! | Es scheint niemand zu Hause zu sein! |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Aber Tesco ist größer und hat eine größere Auswahl an Produkten. |
| Okay, maybe it's better for you to have some rest. | Okay, vielleicht ist es besser für dich, wenn du dich etwas ausruhst. |
| That's fine, I'm almost ready. | Kein Problem, ich bin fast fertig. |