







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 | |
|---|---|
| Do you remember me? | Erinnerst du dich an mich? |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | Ja, Bear isst jeden Tag eineinhalb Katzen zum Frühstück. |
| I prefer red onions. | Ich bevorzuge rote Zwiebeln. |
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | Ja, der Frühling ist wahrscheinlich die schlimmste Zeit für Allergien! |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | Hast du irgendwelche Geschwister? |
| And sometimes they don't come home for days. | Und manchmal kommen sie tagelang nicht nachhause. |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | Vielen Dank. Bis am Samstag um 13:00 Uhr. |
| Here you go sir, this is your receipt and your £20 cashback. | Hier bitteschön. Hier ist Ihr Kassenzettel und Ihre £20. |
| Do your parents live in London, too? | Leben deine Eltern auch in London? |
| Yes, it is, but yours isn't so obvious. | Ja, ist es. Aber bei dir ist es nicht so offensichtlich. |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | Hey, welche Haltestelle ist am nächsten zu Chinatown? |
| It sounds important. | Das klingt sehr wichtig. |
| When you stop believing we can get a house in Mayfair for 2,400! | Wenn du aufhörst zu glauben, dass wir ein Haus in Mayfair für 2400 mieten können! |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Hallo gnädige Frau, sind Sie immer noch da? |
| We all love bank holidays. | Wir alle lieben Bankfeiertage. |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | Soll ich etwas anderes machen? |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | Laut Rezept 600g. |
| I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | Ich hasse es, wenn sie die ganze Nacht an meinem Ohr herumfliegen und mich aufwecken. |
| What's your favourite movie? | Was ist dein Lieblingsfilm? |
| Does that help you to believe me? | Hilft dir das, mir zu glauben? |