







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 | |
|---|---|
| Congratulations... But is Pogo a pet's name? | Glückwunsch... Aber ist Pogo der Name eines Haustiers? |
| Well this is how it is... do you want to see upstairs? | Nun, so ist es halt... Möchten Sie sich das obere Stockwerk ansehen? |
| I'm sorry to say that no pets are allowed in the house! | Es tut mir Leid, aber es sind keine Tiere im Haus erlaubt! |
| It won't change anything, but reminding me is stressing me out! | Es wird nichts ändern, aber es stresst mich, wenn ich daran erinnert werde! |
| I'm sure it's where it always is. | Ich bin mir sicher sie ist am üblichen Platz. |
| Do you have a cigarette? | Hast du eine Zigarette? |
| How are things going, is everything ok? | Wie läufts, alles okay? |
| I don't think it's hay fever! I believe it's from the cat... | Ich denke nicht, dass es Heuschnupfen ist! Ich denke es liegt an der Katze... |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | Es gibt noch viele andere, aber ich denke gumtree.com ist die beste Seite. |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | Das ist gut, drei Häuser an einem Tag anzusehen ist nicht schlecht. |
| Are you going to say sorry for saying I am stupid then? | Wirst du dich dann entschuldigen, dass du mich dumm genannt hast, oder nicht? |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | Das passiert nur, wenn er extrem gestresst ist! |
| Is that what you want me to do? | Willst du, dass ich das mache? |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | Das ist so traurig. Wie alt sind deine Eltern? |
| Hey, before you go... | Hey, bevor du gehst... |
| But on the ad it says the house is fully furnished! | Aber in der Anzeige steht, dass das Haus voll möbliert ist! |
| My rent is monthly, I pay £600 per month. | Ich zahle £600 pro Monat. |
| Do you live around here? | Wohnst du in der Gegend? |
| Are they older or younger? | Sind sie jünger oder älter? |
| Isn't that funny? | Ist das nicht witzig? |