







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 | |
|---|---|
| Dear, who is it? | Schatz, wer ist es? |
| In these cases, Pogo stays home alone with no food and no attention. | In diesen Fällen bleibt Pogo alleine zuhause, ohne Essen und ohne Aufmerksamkeit. |
| Yeah, it's quite a big country, more like a continent. | Stimmt, es ist ein ziemlich großes Land. Eher wie ein Kontinent. |
| I don't think you really want me to stay here anymore! | Ich denke du willst nicht wirklich, dass ich länger hier bleibe! |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Ich kann natürlich kochen, aber nur wenn ich Lust dazu habe. |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | Es ist schwierig alle Sachen manuell an der Selbstbedienungskasse zu finden. |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Hallo, es tut mir leid, dass ich ein bisschen spät dran bin. |
| I'm really sorry to hear that, mate! | Tut mir echt leid das zu hören! |
| I'm on my way to Brighton, nearly there! | Ich bin auf dem Weg nach Brighton. Fast da! |
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | Klar, es sind 4 Mädchen. Alle vier sind Studenten aus Deutschland. |
| Do you know how to use them? | Weißt du wie man sie benutzt? |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not serious. | Das wusste ich nicht. Ich hoffe es ist nichts Ernstes. |
| Do you like them with or without the skin on? | Magst du sie mit oder ohne Haut? |
| If you are going to ask for money, I don't have any, either. | Wenn du nach Geld fragen willst, ich habe auch keins. |
| What's your maximum monthly budget for the rent? | Was ist dein maximales Budget für die Miete? |
| I've finally completed it and tomorrow is the big day! | Ich habe es endlich beendet und morgen ist der große Tag! |
| They don't usually work after ten o'clock. | Sie arbeiten normalerweise nicht mehr nach 22 Uhr. |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Warum gehst du nicht an dein Handy? |
| Good thanks, I'm fine, too. | Danke, mir geht es auch gut. |
| My sisters live nearby, they help her sometimes. | Meine Schwestern leben in der Nähe und helfen ihr manchmal. |