







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 | |
|---|---|
| So it's definitely not a divorce situation. | Also geht es definitiv nicht um eine Scheidung. |
| It's a kind of welcoming party for her. | Es ist ein Art Willkommensparty für sie. |
| Are you really asking me that question? | Fragst du mich das gerade wirklich? |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | Es ist schwierig alle Sachen manuell an der Selbstbedienungskasse zu finden. |
| Do you want me to put it in the bin? | Soll ich sie in den Müll werfen? |
| Hey, which is the closest station to China Town? | Hey, welche Haltestelle ist am nächsten zu Chinatown? |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | Das ist schlecht. Bist du erkältet? |
| Is there a problem with your phone battery? | Gibt es ein Problem mit dem Akku deines Telefons? |
| Hm, okay... I think I got it, is it like Pinocchio? | Hmm okay... Ich denke ich habs verstanden. Ist er wie Pinocchio? |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | Es ist nicht nett so etwas zu einer Frau zu sagen... |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | Der Rest des Hauses ist in Ordnung, aber die Küche ist etwas schmutzig. |
| Come on in, here on the ground floor, we have two bedrooms... | Kommen Sie herein. Hier im Erdgeschoss gibt es zwei Schlafzimmer... |
| Are you with your friends? | Bist du mit deinen Freunden hier? |
| Why did you ask, do you want me to boil it? | Warum fragst du? Willst du, dass ich es koche? |
| Hello, I'm sorry, but there is no chardonnay left, Cate. | Hallo, es tut mir leid, aber es ist kein Chardonnay mehr übrig Cate. |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | Nein, ich habe echt schlimme Allergien. |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | Ich möchte den Sauvignon Blanc probieren. |
| Where is my f*cking tenner? | Wo ist mein verd*mmter Zehner? |
| It's like there's evil hidden inside them! | Es ist so als ob etwas Böses in ihnen steckt! |
| Hello Beatrix, it's me, Cate. | Hallo Beatrix, ich bin es, Cate. |