







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 | |
|---|---|
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | Pogo ist meine kleine Katze. Ist das ein Problem? |
| What's wrong with him? | Was stimmt nicht mit ihm? |
| Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Natürlich, mein Name ist Cate und meine Nummer ist 077... |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | Übrigens, ich mag die Farbe der Wände... Was denkst du? |
| It's Marvin Gaye, from the 60's, but this is the remix. | Marvin Gaye aus den 60ern, aber das ist der Remix. |
| What's your maximum monthly budget for the rent? | Was ist dein maximales Budget für die Miete? |
| No, because she is mental and can harm Pogo or Bear! | Nein, weil sie verrückt ist und Pogo und Bear verletzen kann! |
| Oh f*ck, what kind of tap is this? | Oh verd*mmt. Was für eine Art von Wasserhahn ist das? |
| Is there a garlic crusher, then? | Gibt es dann eine Knoblauchpresse? |
| First of all, it's so sad to see them in pain. | Erstens, es ist so traurig dein Haustier mit Schmerzen zu sehen. |
| Ah, I'm very sorry, but we're fully booked tonight! | Ähm, es tut mir Leid, aber wir sind heute Abend ausgebucht! |
| Congratulations, I wish you luck. | Glückwunsch, ich wünsche dir Glück! |
| I think we need to put some of your clothes away. | Ich denke wir müssen ein paar deiner Klamotten ausräumen. |
| Yeah, the packet is ripped, but it's not overdue. | Ja, die Packung ist beschädigt, aber er ist noch nicht abgelaufen. |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | Klar, unsere Küche wurde neu renoviert... |
| Hello Beatrix, it's me, Cate. | Hallo Beatrix, ich bin es, Cate. |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | 50% von 135 sind 67,50... Und insgesamt macht das 202,50. |
| That's a very interesting combination. | Das ist eine sehr interessante Kombination. |
| He is one of my best friends, unfortunately. | Er ist einer meiner besten Freunde, leider. |
| I'm really sorry, what kind of sickness is it? | Das tut mir wirklich leid. Was für eine Art Krankheit ist es? |