







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 | |
|---|---|
| What line is it on? | Auf welcher Linie liegt Camden? |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | Soll ich ihr sagen, dass du hier bist? |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Also hast du offensichtlich keine Ahnung was es kostet ein Haus zu mieten. |
| I don't mind sitting outside as long as I'm not cold. | Es macht mir nichts aus draußen zu sitzen, solange mir nicht kalt ist. |
| How long does the flight usually take? | Wie lange dauert der Flug normalerweise? |
| Hmm, I guess it's a bit old, but it's still my favourite. | Hmm, ich denke er ist etwas alt, aber trotzdem mein Lieblingsfilm. |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | Es ist immer noch £5 mehr als für das große Zimmer! |
| I feel hungry, too. | Ich bin auch hungrig. |
| I'm not really in the mood to join them. | Ich habe nicht wirklich Lust, mich ihnen anzuschließen. |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Öhm, ich komme nicht drauf. Ich denke, es sind mehr als 150 Jahre. |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Wessen Katze?... Meinst du meine Katze? |
| Oh, okay, is there a problem with your house? | Oh okay. Gibt es ein Problem mit deinem Haus? |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | Ja, ich frage mich ob wir bei Filmen auch denselben Geschmack haben! |
| No, but it's not good for him to take the stairs up and down everyday. | Nein, aber es ist nicht gut, wenn er jeden Tag die Treppen rauf und runter laufen muss. |
| My favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. | Mein Lieblingsfilm ist Pulp Fiction. |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | Es scheint so, als ob Pogo in den Garten möchte. |
| Okay, maybe it's better for you to have some rest. | Okay, vielleicht ist es besser für dich, wenn du dich etwas ausruhst. |
| Yes I did, why, isn't it normal? | Doch, habe ich. Warum? Ist das nicht normal? |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | Ich werde aber Australien besuchen, sobald Teleportation erfunden wird. |
| I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | Es tut mir leid, aber wir müssen unser Treffen heute absagen. |