







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 | |
|---|---|
| But that's true, some Chows are a bit aggressive. | Aber stimmt, manche Chow-Chows sind ein bisschen aggressiv. |
| Is that okay for you? | Ist das für dich in Ordnung? |
| And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | Und es ist schwer zu glauben, aber er ist sauber. |
| There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | Es gibt einen Roboter im Körper eines Kindes, aber er weißt nicht, dass er ein Roboter ist. |
| I think you wake me up more often than mosquitoes do! | Ich denke du weckst mich öfter auf als die Stechmücken! |
| Okay, maybe it's better for you to have some rest. | Okay, vielleicht ist es besser für dich, wenn du dich etwas ausruhst. |
| Your perfectly shaped mushrooms are ready! | Deine perfekt geformten Pilze sind fertig! |
| You are right, is there anything you want me to buy on the way? | Du hast Recht. Soll ich etwas unterwegs kaufen? |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | Du kannst bei mir wohnen bis du etwas neues findest. |
| I am, I have to be there at 12:30. | Doch, ich muss um 12:30 Uhr dort sein. |
| Do we have a mortar and pestle? | Haben wir einen Mörser und einen Stößel? |
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | Oh Gott... Jetzt habe ich es verstanden! Das ist ekelhaft... |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Ähm, apropos, da wir gerade beim Thema sind... |
| Isn't Morrison's closer? | Ist Morrison's nicht näher? |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | Eine ganze, ungeöffnete 500g Packung. |
| Do you want me to wash the wine bottle before I pour it? | Soll ich die Weinflasche waschen, bevor ich dir davon einschenke? |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Warum gehst du nicht an dein Handy? |
| I haven't been there before, where is it? | Dort war ich noch nie zuvor. Wo ist das? |
| I know, I thought you might like to have it with her alone. | Ich weiß, aber ich dachte du würdest gerne mit ihr alleine frühstücken. |
| He hasn't realised that we are at a vet yet. | Er hat es noch nicht gemerkt, dass wir bei einem Tierarzt sind. |