







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 | |
|---|---|
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | Meinst du zwei Gabeln reichen uns? |
| There is nothing under 3,000 in Angel! | Es gibt in Angel nichts unter 3000! |
| So it's definitely not a divorce situation. | Also geht es definitiv nicht um eine Scheidung. |
| 5 bedroom detached house on Lyme Street, £2,800, is that right? | Einzelhaus mit 5 Schlafzimmern in der Lyme Street für £2800, richtig? |
| I guess time doesn't pass for you while I'm away. | Ich schätze die Zeit vergeht nicht für dich, während ich weg bin. |
| Hm, okay... I think I got it, is it like Pinocchio? | Hmm okay... Ich denke ich habs verstanden. Ist er wie Pinocchio? |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | Der Rest des Hauses ist in Ordnung, aber die Küche ist etwas schmutzig. |
| It's in Islington, zone-1, it's the best place for me so far. | In Islington in Zone 1. Das ist für mich momentan der beste Ort. |
| That's why the rent is much lower than average. | Deswegen ist die Miete auch viel niedriger als im Durchschnitt. |
| Okay, the total is £36.74, sir. | Okay, das kostet dann insgesamt £36.74. |
| Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | Oder schlimmer noch, sie veranstalten eine Hausparty! |
| Are you close friends? | Seid ihr gute Freunde? |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | Ich hoffe dann, dass sie kein problematischer Teenager ist... |
| No, actually, he is properly toilet trained. | Nein, er ist eigentlich stubenrein. |
| It makes all of our clothes stink! | Alle unsere Klamotten stinken dadurch! |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | Ich koche meistens Fleisch-, Fisch- und Hühnchengerichte. |
| 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. |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | Laut Rezept 600g. |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | Ich werde ihn bitten mit Bear Gassi zu gehen, damit wir frühstücken können. |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | Ja, ich frage mich ob wir bei Filmen auch denselben Geschmack haben! |