







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 | |
|---|---|
| Mike, it is a continent! | Mike, es ist ein Kontinent! |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | Ja, aber der Raum ist quadratisch und es gibt nur vier große Objekte darin. |
| Pogo still hates coming to the vet, though! | Pogo hasst es aber immer noch zum Tierarzt zu gehen. |
| Do you like train rides, too? | Magst du auch Zugfahrten? |
| No, it's not okay, I'm screwed now! | Nein, nichts ist in Ordnung. Ich bin jetzt in der Klemme! |
| 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. |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Sollen wir uns an der Haltestelle treffen oder soll ich dich zu Hause abholen? |
| Yes, that's okay, we are just about to leave. | Ja, ist in Ordnung, wir sind dabei zu gehen. |
| That's a very interesting combination. | Das ist eine sehr interessante Kombination. |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | Und wir müssen alles selbst wiegen, usw. |
| Exactly, I hate getting woken up in the middle of the night! | Genau. Ich hasse es mitten in der Nacht aufgewckt zu werden! |
| Isn't that funny? | Ist das nicht witzig? |
| Is it hay fever? I've got some pills for it! | Ist es Heuschnupfen? Ich habe ein paar Tabletten dafür! |
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | Du kannst mich alles fragen, was du wissen möchtest. |
| I think the price is very cheap. | Der Preis ist meiner Meinung nach sehr günstig. |
| I'm a web designer. | Ich bin ein Web Designer. |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | Stimmt. Ich denke Dampfdrucktöpfe sind auch ziemlich gefährlich! |
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | Klar, es sind 4 Mädchen. Alle vier sind Studenten aus Deutschland. |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | Es scheint so, als ob Pogo in den Garten möchte. |
| Yes, she is coming back, but isn't it what I always do? | Ja, sie kommt zurück. Aber mache ich das nicht immer? |