







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 | |
|---|---|
| Thanks for being thoughtful, dear. | Danke, dass du rücksichtsvoll bist Schatz. |
| I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | Es tut mir leid zu sagen, dass es nichts besonders ist. |
| I would like to... But I have other things to do... | Das würde ich gerne... Aber ich habe andere Dinge zu erledigen... |
| It's a kind of welcoming party for her. | Es ist ein Art Willkommensparty für sie. |
| We call it a sixth sense! | Wir nennen es den sechsten Sinn! |
| I searched: does Pinocchio know he is not a real boy. | Ich habe gesucht nach: "Weiß Pinocchio, dass er kein echter Junge ist". |
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | Du hebst nie die Häufchen von Bear vom Boden auf. |
| Yes, I have got two sisters. | Ja, ich habe zwei Schwestern. |
| What do you think, dear, do you like it, too? | Was denkst du Schatz, magst du es auch? |
| Do you expect me to make the room bigger by pushing the walls out? | Soll ich den Raum vergrößern, indem ich die Wände verschiebe? |
| Yes, that's okay, we are just about to leave. | Ja, ist in Ordnung, wir sind dabei zu gehen. |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Fühlst du dich mittlerweile etwas besser? |
| Let me check... Yes, there are some plates. | Lass mich mal schauen... Ja, es gibt ein paar Teller. |
| Hang on, there is another web site that says... | Warte, es gibt eine andere Webseite da steht... |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Du siehst mir nicht aus wie eine Englischlehrerin. |
| I can't call him at the moment because his phone is unreachable. | Ich kann ihn momentan nicht anrufen, weil er nicht erreichbar ist. |
| Is there any other cat around? | Gibt es sonst noch eine andere Katze? |
| Do you want me to call them? | Soll ich sie anrufen? |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Ähm, apropos, da wir gerade beim Thema sind... |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | Vielen Dank. Bis am Samstag um 13:00 Uhr. |