







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 | |
|---|---|
| Is your father sick? | Ist dein Vater krank? |
| What's your maximum monthly budget for the rent? | Was ist dein maximales Budget für die Miete? |
| I'm checking again, there are only two forks and a teaspoon! | Ich schau nochmal nach. Es gibt nur zwei Gabeln und einen Teelöffel! |
| Hey, what happened? Is everything okay? | Hey, was ist passiert? Ist alles in Ordnung? |
| Is she here with you? | Lebt sie hier mit dir? |
| Yes, the guy with the beard is Mike. | Ja, der Kerl mit dem Bart ist Mike. |
| Does that help you to believe me? | Hilft dir das, mir zu glauben? |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | Es ist schwierig alle Sachen manuell an der Selbstbedienungskasse zu finden. |
| There is nothing much left to do, there are only bits and pieces. | Gibt es außer Kleinigkeiten nicht mehr viel zu tun. |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | Stimmt. Ich denke Dampfdrucktöpfe sind auch ziemlich gefährlich! |
| That's why you can't find the answer! | Deswegen kannst du die Antwort nicht finden! |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | Ähm, oh ja, ich kann sie jetzt sehen. Die Anzeigennummer ist 9845... |
| He is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | Er ist ein Klempner, Schatz. Scheinbar ist die Toilette verstopft. |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | Ich möchte nicht länger in diesem Haus bleiben! |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not a big problem for him. | Das wusste ich nicht. Ich hoffe es ist kein schlimmes Problem für ihn. |
| Why do you think it's weird? | Warum denkst du es ist eigenartig? |
| It's more than enough, I need some garlic, also. | Das ist mehr als genug. Ich brauche auch etwas Knoblauch. |
| It sounds important. | Das klingt sehr wichtig. |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | Okay, ich denke ich weiß wer er ist. |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Hast du irgendwelche Geschwister? |