







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 | |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| Also, he has got a very lovely, cute dog. | Außerdem hat er einen sehr lieben, süßen Hund. |
| Yes, she is coming back, but isn't it what I always do? | Ja, sie kommt zurück. Aber mache ich das nicht immer? |
| Yes, there are some knives, too. | Ja, es gibt auch ein paar Messer. |
| Do we have a sieve? | Haben wir ein Sieb? |
| That's a good question! | Das ist eine gute Frage! |
| Really? Sade is one of my favourites, too. | Echt? Sade gehört auch zu meinen Favoriten. |
| No, no, nothing is wrong, no need to worry, we are all fine... | Nein, nein, alles ist in Ordnung. Keine Sorge uns allen geht es gut... |
| I like girls' nights out. | Ich mag Frauenabende. |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Hallo, sind Sie Cate? |
| I was just joking, how are you? | Das war nur ein Witz, wie geht es dir? |
| Also, one of my friends works there. | Einer meiner Freunde arbeitet auch dort. |
| I am 24. | Ich bin 24. |
| I hope he gets well soon. | Ich hoffe er wird bald wieder gesund. |
| Oh god, I feel too tired now. | Oh Gott, ich fühle mich jetzt zu müde. |
| I think Diego and I are the only smokers in the house. | Ich denke ich und Diego sind die einzigen Raucher im Haus. |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | Öhm... Solange deine Hände noch schmutzig sind... |
| I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | Ich hasse es, wenn sie die ganze Nacht an meinem Ohr herumfliegen und mich aufwecken. |
| What’s their name? | Wie heißt er? |
| We're out tonight for Laura. | Wir sind heute unterwegs für Laura. |