







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 | |
|---|---|
| Okay, I want to have something similar then! | Okay, ich möchte dann etwas Ähnliches haben! |
| I'm sorry but I have bad news about the room... | Es tut mir Leid, aber ich habe schlechte Nachrichten über das Zimmer... |
| Yes, I like them, too. | Ja, die mag ich auch. |
| I agree, long flights aren't very pleasant. | Ich denke auch, dass Langestreckenflüge nicht sehr angenehm sind. |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Ich vermute er will etwas Wasser trinken. |
| By the way, my name's Mike, what's yours? | Übrigens, mein Name ist Mike, wie heißt du? |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | Kommt deine Mutter alleine mit der Situation klar? |
| I think you wake me up more often than mosquitoes do! | Ich denke du weckst mich öfter auf als die Stechmücken! |
| Do you have their number? | Hast du ihre Nummer? |
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | Hast du Russland gesagt? Das ist ungewöhnlich! |
| Do you like them with or without the skin on? | Magst du sie mit oder ohne Haut? |
| Erm... They pay 170 weekly. | Ähm... Sie zahlen 170 pro Woche. |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | Meine reizende Frau erzählt mir immer wie gut ihre Frühlingsröllchen sind. |
| Sorry, madam, Friday is one of our busiest nights! | Sorry gnädige Frau, Freitagabend ist bei uns immer viel los! |
| Well, I hope he doesn't keep on pooping all around the house! | Nun, ich hoffe er macht nicht das ganze Haus voller Häufchen! |
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | Bei Gasherden kann jemand das Gas anlassen. Das ist zu gefährlich! |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Ja, meinst du Dreiräder? |
| No she is a very cute, easygoing and friendly girl. | Nein, sie ist ein sehr süßes, lockeres und freundliches Mädchen. |
| Is there anything else I can do for you, love? | Gibt es sonst noch etwas was ich für dich tun kann, meine Liebe? |
| Well, it's about a kid, I mean a robot. | Nun, es geht um ein Kind, ähm, ich meinte einen Roboter. |