







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 | |
|---|---|
| They're there, under the duvet. | Sie ist dort unter der Bettdecke. |
| He wants to, but tonight it's impossible. | Er will, aber heute Abend ist es unmöglich. |
| Oh hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | Oh hallo... Ich habe vergessen zu erwähnen, dass es auch ein ganz besonderer Anlass ist... |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Warum gehst du nicht an dein Handy? |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | Hast du sorgfältig nachgeschaut? Gibt es überhaupt keins? |
| I think so, he can look around while Bear is not here. | Ich denke ja, damit er sich umschauen kann, solange Bear nicht hier ist. |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | Er ist 70 und meine Mutter ist 64. |
| I'm so sorry, but we need to cancel our meeting today. | Es tut mir leid, aber wir müssen unser Treffen heute absagen. |
| I don't have time to cook everyday. | Ich habe nicht jeden Tag Zeit zum Kochen. |
| I'm just teasing you, dear, 200 degrees is okay! | Ich mache nur Spass! 200 Grad sind okay! |
| I'm happy to hear that. | Das freut mich zu hören. |
| Yes, she is coming back, but isn't it what I always do? | Ja, sie kommt zurück. Aber mache ich das nicht immer? |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | Okay, der Geriebene ist heute 20% günstiger. |
| Yes, of course I remember. | Ja, natürlich erinnere ich mich. |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Nicht wirklich! Ich koche nicht wirklich gern. |
| There is no direct flight from London to Perth. | Es gibt keinen Direktflug von London nach Perth. |
| Yes, I have got two sisters. | Ja, ich habe zwei Schwestern. |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | Ich bin ein bisschen müde und sehr hungrig. |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | Na ja, ich bin es gewohnt heute schlechte Nachrichten zu bekommen. Was ist los? |
| Can I get you some more drinks? | Sollen ich Ihnen zuerst nachschenken? |