







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 | |
|---|---|
| Sorry to ask, but are you on your period or something? | Sorry für die Frage, aber hast du deine Tage? |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | Ich habe keinen Plan, da ich nicht erwartet habe, dass so etwas passiert. |
| Which appointment? Do you mean the house in Angel? | Welche Besichtigung? Meinst du das Haus in Angel? |
| He is one of my best friends, unfortunately. | Er ist einer meiner besten Freunde, leider. |
| Are you sure she is from Australia? | Bist du sicher, dass sie aus Australien kommt? |
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | Warte mal, ich erinnere mich, dass du gesagt hast, dass du nie Tiere tötest! |
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | Oh Gott... Jetzt habe ich es verstanden! Das ist ekelhaft... |
| As a result, he starts pooping and peeing all over the house. | Das führt dazu, dass er im ganzen Haus Häufchen macht und überall hinpinkelt. |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | Ja, ich warte hier auf die guten Nachrichten. |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | Ich werde aber Australien besuchen, sobald Teleportation erfunden wird. |
| That's where Diego works, too! | Dort arbeitet Diego auch! |
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | Echt? Ich möchte deinen Plan nicht ruinieren, aber... |
| What do you think, dear, do you like it, too? | Was denkst du Schatz, magst du es auch? |
| Let me check, we only need butter. | Lass mich kurz nachsehen. Wir brauchen nur noch Butter. |
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | Nein, aber darauf habe ich Hunger... |
| Of course, she is an angel, do you want to talk to your mum? | Natürlich ist sie ein Engel. Möchtest du mit deiner Mutter sprechen? |
| They weigh everything at the checkout. | Sie wiegen alles an der Kasse. |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | Eine ganze, ungeöffnete 500g Packung. |
| But I think that's only for older women. | Aber ich denke das gilt nur für ältere Frauen. |
| Ah, I can't eat the breast, it's too dry for me! | Ah, ich kann die Brust nicht essen. Sie ist mir zu trocken! |