







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 | |
|---|---|
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | Willst sonst noch jemand etwas zu trinken haben? |
| It sounds like a good deal. | Das hört sich nach einem guten Deal an. |
| It's on the Northern line, the same one we use here. | Auf der Northern Line. Die gleiche Linie die wir hier verwenden. |
| Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | Ich wusste es. Ich bin mir sicher sie zahlen viel weniger. |
| What's your plan, Cate? | Was ist dein Plan, Cate? |
| No, they live in Australia. | Nein, sie leben in Australien. |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Ich arbeite heute nur 3 Stunden. |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | Keine Sorge, alle nehmen sich immer meine Sachen. |
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | Nein, ich lüge nicht! Ich lüge nie. |
| The place I am having the meeting is very close to Brighton Pier. | Der Ort an dem ich mein Meeting habe, ist ganz in der Nähe vom Kai in Brighton. |
| And sometimes they don't come home for days. | Und manchmal kommen sie tagelang nicht nachhause. |
| But... I'm not good at lying... | Aber... Ich bin nicht gut im Lügen... |
| 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? |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Öhm, ich komme nicht drauf. Ich denke, es sind mehr als 150 Jahre. |
| Maybe I get a bit moody on the first day of my period. | Möglicherweise werde ich am ersten Tag meiner Periode etwas launisch. |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | Ähm, oh ja, ich kann sie jetzt sehen. Die Anzeigennummer ist 9845... |
| Here you go sir, this is your receipt and your £20 cashback. | Hier bitteschön. Hier ist Ihr Kassenzettel und Ihre £20. |
| Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Natürlich, mein Name ist Cate und meine Nummer ist 077... |
| You're right, but he is not only here to fix things... | Du hast Recht, aber er ist nicht nur hier um Dinge zu reparieren... |
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | Du hebst nie die Häufchen von Bear vom Boden auf. |