







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 | |
|---|---|
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | Vielen Dank. Bis am Samstag um 13:00 Uhr. |
| Congratulations, I wish you luck. | Glückwunsch, ich wünsche dir Glück! |
| It's £135 per week! | £135 pro Woche! |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | Fühlst du dich mittlerweile etwas besser? |
| Hey, what happened? Is everything okay? | Hey, was ist passiert? Ist alles in Ordnung? |
| Because we know them and have their mobile numbers? | Weil wir sie kennen und ihre Handynummern haben? |
| Wow, that's unbelievable, is it yours? | Wow, nicht zu glauben. Gehört er dir? |
| Do you want me to call them? | Soll ich sie anrufen? |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Eine Wohnung ist keine gute Idee wegen Bear, da es keinen Garten gibt. |
| Is it Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus? | Leicester Square oder Piccadilly Circus? |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | Hallo, haben Sie eine Tesco Clubkarte? |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | Ja, ich mag es Lasagne einen Tag nach der Zubereitung zu essen. Sie schmeckt besser. |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Ist Morrison's nicht näher? |
| I guess you need to change your cooking plan now! | Ich schätze du musst jetzt deinen Kochplan ändern! |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | Ich mag ein paar Songs von Jamiroquai, aber nicht alle. |
| Well, that's another problem! | Nun, das ist ein weiteres Problem! |
| I prefer red onions. | Ich bevorzuge rote Zwiebeln. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Übrigens die Kaution beträgt £3000 und ist nicht verhandelbar... |
| Yes, sorry, everything seems filthy, but believe me, it's not my fault! | Ja, tut mir leid, dass scheinbar alles schmutzig ist, aber glaub mir, es ist nicht meine Schuld! |
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | Und zur Zeit besuche ich diesen Pub ziemlich oft. |