







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 | |
|---|---|
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | Ich koche meistens Fleisch-, Fisch- und Hühnchengerichte. |
| Anyway, you only have 10 days left to leave that house. | Egal, du hast also 10 Tage Zeit das Haus zu verlassen. |
| I'm sorry guys, there is no negotiation on the rent! | Es tut mir Leid Leute, aber die Miete ist nicht verhandelbar! |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Vielleicht hat sie wirklich eine Allergie gegen Katzen. Das wissen wir nicht. |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | Ich verstehe nicht, wieso sie es einen Bankfeiertag nennen. |
| It's usually at the top right of your screen. | Sie steht meistens in der rechten oberen Ecke Ihres Bildschirms. |
| So I want to cook as much as I can now. | Deswegen will ich jetzt so viel wie möglich kochen. |
| She could even have been her mum... Who knows? | Sie hätte ihre Mutter sein können... Wer weiß? |
| How many people live in this house? | Wie viele Menschen leben in diesem Haus? |
| I am, I have to be there at 12:30. | Doch, ich muss um 12:30 Uhr dort sein. |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | Ähm... Sie zahlen 170 pro Woche. |
| 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? |
| Taking Bear out usually takes me an hour. | Mit Bear rauszugehen dauert normalerweise eine Stunde. |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | Na ja, ich bin es gewohnt heute schlechte Nachrichten zu bekommen. Was ist los? |
| Maybe I know your friend. | Vielleicht kennen ich deinen Freund. |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | Ja, es ist tatsächlich sehr wichtig für mich. |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | Ich möchte nicht länger in diesem Haus bleiben! |
| People take cutlery to their rooms and don't bring it back! | Die Leute nehmen das Besteck mit in ihr Zimmer und bringen es nicht zurück! |
| There is nothing under 3,000 in Angel! | Es gibt in Angel nichts unter 3000! |
| I've finally completed it and tomorrow is the big day! | Ich habe es endlich beendet und morgen ist der große Tag! |