







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 | |
|---|---|
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | Gibt es ein Problem mit dem Akku deines Telefons? |
| Hello madam, are you still on the line? | Hallo gnädige Frau, sind Sie immer noch da? |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | Komm schon Mike, es geht nicht darum, ob ich zu Hause bin. |
| Don't you think it's too far away from the tube station? | Denkst du nicht, dass es zu weit weg ist von der U-Bahn Haltestelle? |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | Ich habe keinen Plan, da ich nicht erwartet habe, dass so etwas passiert. |
| Does anyone else need anything? | Brauchst sonst noch irgendjemand etwas? |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | Es ist schwer für mich, mehr als einmal pro Jahr hinzureisen. |
| We all love bank holidays. | Wir alle lieben Bankfeiertage. |
| I don't need to wake up very early. | Ich muss nicht früh aufstehen. |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Ich vermute er will etwas Wasser trinken. |
| Do you have their number? | Hast du ihre Nummer? |
| I hope he gets well soon. | Ich hoffe er wird bald wieder gesund. |
| Yes, it seems more logical in this case. | Ja, das scheint in diesem Fall logischer zu sein. |
| I like girls' nights out. | Ich mag Frauenabende. |
| Mike, teriyaki is Japanese, we are at a Chinese restaurant. | Mike, Teriyaki ist japanisch. Wir sind in einem chinesischen Restaurant. |
| My husband and I really appreciate it. | Mein Mann und ich wissen das wirklich zu schätzen. |
| That's so sad, how old are your parents? | Das ist so traurig. Wie alt sind deine Eltern? |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | Momentan Remixe von Liedern aus den 60ern, 70ern. |
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | Du hebst nie die Häufchen von Bear vom Boden auf. |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | Das ist die letzte Packung und leider hat sie ein Loch. |