







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 | |
|---|---|
| Is that you, Mike? | Bist du das, Mike? |
| Do you want me to call them? | Soll ich sie anrufen? |
| Oh Jesus Christ... I get it now! That's disgusting... | Oh Gott... Jetzt habe ich es verstanden! Das ist ekelhaft... |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | Ich hoffe dann, dass sie kein problematischer Teenager ist... |
| Do you like train rides, too? | Magst du auch Zugfahrten? |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | Ich habe keinen Plan, da ich nicht erwartet habe, dass so etwas passiert. |
| Also, one of my friends works there. | Einer meiner Freunde arbeitet auch dort. |
| Do you live around here? | Wohnst du in der Gegend? |
| Exactly, I hate getting woken up in the middle of the night! | Genau. Ich hasse es mitten in der Nacht aufgewckt zu werden! |
| 5 bedroom detached house on Lyme Street, £2,800, is that right? | Einzelhaus mit 5 Schlafzimmern in der Lyme Street für £2800, richtig? |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | Ja, ich möchte das Badezimmer sehen... |
| Of course, I researched it well, it's 525 metres. | Natürlich, ich habe das Thema gut recherchiert. Sie ist 525 Meter lang. |
| Hey Mike, you look so worried! | Hey Mike, du siehst so besorgt aus! |
| Where is my f*cking tenner? | Wo ist mein verd*mmter Zehner? |
| See you Mike, hope to see you again. | Tschüss Mike, ich hoffe man sieht sich wieder. |
| We are back, where is Bear? | Wir sind zurück. Wo ist Bear? |
| 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. |
| That's why they're 50% off. | Deswegen sind sie 50% günstiger. |
| Why is that rice so special? | Warum ist dieser Reis so besonders? |
| He wants to, but tonight it's impossible. | Er will, aber heute Abend ist es unmöglich. |