







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 | |
|---|---|
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mein Gott! Es ist fast 12 Uhr. |
| I guess my only choice is coming to your house! | Ich schätze meine einzige Wahl ist zu dir in dein Haus zu kommen! |
| Is she here with you? | Lebt sie hier mit dir? |
| I wear some of them, can I check them when I get back? | Ich trage manche davon. Kann ich nachschauen, wenn ich zurück bin? |
| Do you expect me to make the room bigger by pushing the walls out? | Soll ich den Raum vergrößern, indem ich die Wände verschiebe? |
| Yeah, I think killing mosquitoes is fair. | Ja, ich denke Stechmücken zu töten ist fair. |
| It only takes 15 or 20 minutes. | Es dauert nur etwa 15 oder 20 Minuten. |
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Echt? Wie wecke ich dich auf? |
| No, I'm a real estate agent. | Nein, ich bin ein Immobilienmakler. |
| Thanks for being thoughtful, dear. | Danke, dass du rücksichtsvoll bist Schatz. |
| He also wants to increase our rent by 50%! | Er will auch unsere Miete um 50% erhöhen! |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | Es ist schwer für mich, mehr als einmal pro Jahr hinzureisen. |
| Do you like red or white onions? | Magst du rote oder weiße Zwiebeln? |
| Hi, I don't think it's broken. | Hi, ich denke nicht, dass es gebrochen ist. |
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | Du kannst mich alles fragen, was du wissen möchtest. |
| I've only got Saturday left before I have to move on Sunday. | Ich habe nur noch Samstag, bevor ich am Sonntag ausziehen muss. |
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | Sorry, aber sie servieren hier keine Pommes... |
| Thanks for offering me that, dear. | Vielen Dank für das Angebot. |
| What do you do? | Was arbeitest du? |
| You are right, is there anything you want me to buy on the way? | Du hast Recht. Soll ich etwas unterwegs kaufen? |