







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 | |
|---|---|
| You are very funny mate. | Sehr witzig. |
| Do you want me to slice the mushrooms for you? | Soll ich die Pilze für dich in Scheiben schneiden? |
| He just moved from Brighton and lives around here. | Er ist gerade erst aus Brighton hergezogen und lebt in der Nähe. |
| Where is my f*cking tenner? | Wo ist mein verd*mmter Zehner? |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | Entschuldigung Frau Jones. Es gibt ein Missverständnis... |
| It won't change anything, but reminding me is stressing me out! | Es wird nichts ändern, aber es stresst mich, wenn ich daran erinnert werde! |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | Wie kann er es wagen... Er ist so dumm!!! |
| Which appointment? Do you mean the house in Angel? | Welche Besichtigung? Meinst du das Haus in Angel? |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | Danke Papa. Wo ist Bears Leine? |
| What's your favourite movie? | Was ist dein Lieblingsfilm? |
| It's all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | Es geht ausschließlich um meine kleine Liebe Katze Pogo. |
| Nothing, 'cause I don't know what the woman looks like. | Nichts, weil ich nicht weiß wie die Frau aussieht. |
| Do you like them with or without the skin on? | Magst du sie mit oder ohne Haut? |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Hallo, sind Sie Cate? |
| Plus the bathroom and the kitchen are clean. | Und das Badezimmer und die Küche sind sauber. |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | Ich bin hungrig, aber es ist besser etwas zu essen, wenn wir die Jungs treffen. |
| No, this one is the shop's own brand, that's why it's not expensive. | Nein, bei diesem Reis handelt es sich um die Eigenmarke des Geschäfts. Deswegen ist er nicht teuer. |
| But everybody calls him Rocco. | Aber jeder nennt ihn Rocco. |
| Yes, it might be, but I'm very busy with some projects these days. | Ja, kann sein, aber ich bin momentan sehr beschäftigt mit ein paar Projekten. |
| Where are you? | Wo bist du? |