







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 | |
|---|---|
| And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | Und es ist schwer zu glauben, aber er ist sauber. |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | Ja, es war ziemlich einfach. Ich lebe ganz in der Nähe. |
| I think we should wait for a while till all that smoke disappears. | Ich denke wir sollten warten, bis der ganze Rauch verschwunden ist. |
| Yes, it's in Piccadilly Circus right in the centre. | Ja, sie liegt am Piccadilly Circus, genau im Zentrum. |
| No worries, it's free for you today. | Kein Sorge, sie kosten dich heute nichts. |
| Do you have any area in mind? | Hast du einen Stadtteil im Sinn? |
| What's wrong with him? | Was stimmt nicht mit ihm? |
| Is it because the other tenants don't want pets? | Liegt es daran, dass die anderen Mieter keine Haustiere möchten? |
| Excuse me ma'am, here is an undamaged packet of rice for you. | Entschuldigen Sie, hier ist eine unbeschädigte Packung Reis für Sie. |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | Danke Papa. Wo ist Bears Leine? |
| By the way, my name's Mike, what's yours? | Übrigens, mein Name ist Mike, wie heißt du? |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | Ich habe keine Ahnung... Aber ich hoffe die Person hat einen guten Grund! |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Ähm... Wir sind verheiratet... Ich meinte heute ist unser Hochzeitsjubiläum! |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | Außer Stechmücken, weil sie meinen Schlaf stören. |
| Yeah, I've got it! | Ja, ich habe ihn! |
| I hope they are going to be here on time, too... I don't like waiting. | Ich hoffe sie werden auch pünktlich hier sein... Ich mag es nicht zu warten. |
| I think so, at least there is no aggression. | Ich denke schon. Zumindest gibt es keine Aggression. |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | Ich möchte den Sauvignon Blanc probieren. |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | Das wäre großartig! Denkst du, dass das möglich ist? |
| What about that table? It looks better. | Was ist mit diesem Tisch? Dieser sieht besser aus. |