







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 | |
|---|---|
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Warum gehst du nicht an dein Handy? |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | Hast du sorgfältig nachgeschaut? Gibt es überhaupt keins? |
| You are so realistic dear, where is your wedding ring? | Du bist so realistisch Schatz, aber wo ist dein Hochzeitsring? |
| I feel hungry, too. | Ich bin auch hungrig. |
| I'm so sorry about the inconvenience. | Tut mir Leid für die Unannehmlichkeit. |
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | Oh nein! Sind Sie sicher, dass nichts verfügbar ist? |
| You can ask whatever you want to know. | Du kannst mich alles fragen, was du wissen möchtest. |
| Do your parents live in London, too? | Leben deine Eltern auch in London? |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | Ähm... Ja... Klar! Es ist unser erstes Jubiläum! |
| Do you want to bet on it? | Möchtest du darauf wetten? |
| What's wrong with him? | Was stimmt nicht mit ihm? |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | Ich weiß nicht wirklich, was ist deiner? |
| What else do we need? | Was brauchen wir sonst noch? |
| Why is that? | Warum nicht? |
| Yes sir, you can have a seat at this table. | Ja, Sie können sich an diesen Tisch setzen. |
| I need to wake him up now! | Ich muss ihn jetzt aufwecken! |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mein Gott! Es ist fast 12 Uhr. |
| What do you think, dear, do you like it, too? | Was denkst du Schatz, magst du es auch? |
| It's all your fault! I feel so embarrassed now... | Es ist alles deine Schuld! Ich schäme mich jetzt so sehr... |
| There is nothing much left to do, there are only bits and pieces. | Gibt es außer Kleinigkeiten nicht mehr viel zu tun. |