







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 | |
|---|---|
| I think I deserve a kiss... | Ich denke ich habe einen Kuss verdient... |
| Thank god there is nothing to worry about. | Gottseidank ist es nichts bedenkliches. |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | Gibt es Brot zum toasten? |
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | Kommen Sie herein. Hier im Erdgeschoss gibt es zwei Schlafzimmer... |
| I don't think she wants to talk or solve anything! | Ich denke nicht, dass sie reden möchte oder irgendetwas lösen möchte! |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | Er ist 70 und meine Mutter ist 64. |
| They also have three big windows in their room! | Sie haben auch drei große Fenster in ihrem Zimmer! |
| Is it really on the menu? | Steht das wirklich auf der Karte? |
| My favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. | Mein Lieblingsfilm ist Pulp Fiction. |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | Nein, sie ist gottseidank absolut gesund. |
| Can I get you some more drinks? | Sollen ich Ihnen zuerst nachschenken? |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | Lass mal nachrechnen. Ich zahle 135 pro Woche für eine Person... |
| Do you want me to wash the wine bottle before I pour it? | Soll ich die Weinflasche waschen, bevor ich dir davon einschenke? |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | Ähm... Ich weiß ich schnarche manchmal. Schnarche ich jeden Tag? |
| I don't think it's normal, do you think it's normal? | Ich denke nicht, dass das normal ist. Denkst du, dass das normal ist? |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | Laut Rezept 600g. |
| The rice section is over there. | Die Reisabteilung ist dort drüben. |
| Thank you again for giving me your turn. | Danke nochmals, dass du mich vorgelassen hast. |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | Ähm... Sie zahlen 170 pro Woche. |
| Isn't that funny? | Ist das nicht witzig? |