







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 | |
|---|---|
| Isn't it faster taking the tube? | Ist es nicht schneller mit der U-Bahn? |
| Yeah, and the market is good, is Camden Lock in zone-2 or 3? | Ja und der Markt ist gut. Ist Camden Lock in Zone 2 oder 3? |
| Who is Mike, darling? | Wer ist Mike, meine Liebe? |
| Why? I never put a question mark when I search something! | Warum? Ich verwende nie ein Fragezeichen, wenn ich nach etwas suche! |
| That's a good question! | Das ist eine gute Frage! |
| 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! |
| I think I deserve a kiss... | Ich denke ich habe einen Kuss verdient... |
| My landlords are a gay couple. | Meine Vermieter sind ein schwules Pärchen. |
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | Oh nein! Sind Sie sicher, dass nichts verfügbar ist? |
| Is that right? | Stimmt das? |
| I'm really sorry about that! | Das tut mir wirklich leid! |
| Oh, come on dear, I was just joking, you know that... | Oh komm schon, du weißt das ich nur Spaß mache... |
| Are there any fries or any kind of snacks? | Gibt es Pommes oder irgendeine Art von Snack? |
| Exactly, I hate getting woken up in the middle of the night! | Genau. Ich hasse es mitten in der Nacht aufgewckt zu werden! |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | Tut mir Leid für die Unannehmlichkeit. |
| To me, wasting it is weirder! | Für mich ist es eigenartiger sie zu verschwenden! |
| It looks like you've got some experience with coffee. | Es scheint so, als ob du dich mit Kaffee auskennst. |
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | Vielleicht bevorzugen sie aus Sicherheitsgründen elektrische Herde in Gemeinschaftshäusern. |
| He is the bartender. | Er ist der Barkeeper. |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | Hi, ich denke nicht, dass es gebrochen ist. |