







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 | |
|---|---|
| Hello, I'm very sorry dear, I'm a bit late. | Hallo, es tut mir sehr Leid Schatz. Ich bin etwas zu spät. |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | Nein, habe ich nicht. Ich weiß nicht was dir im Kühlschrank gehört. |
| Ta-ta here it is... | Tada, hier ist er... |
| Actually, it's quite urgent for me. | Eigentlich ist es ziemlich dringend für mich. |
| And on the ground floor we have easy access to the garden. | Und im Erdgeschoss haben wir direkten Zugang zum Garten. |
| You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | Du hast recht, er ist wahrscheinlich mehr als eine Zigarette wert. |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | Nein, wir gießen Pasta mit einer Reibe ab. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | Was ist die Schlimmste? Den Abwasch machen oder saubermachen? |
| It's usually at the top right of your screen. | Sie steht meistens in der rechten oberen Ecke Ihres Bildschirms. |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | Okay, der Geriebene ist heute 20% günstiger. |
| Oh really? That's not good. | Oh wirklich? Das ist nicht gut. |
| The ones at the bottom look fresher. | Die unteren Petersilien sehen frischer aus. |
| Do you want me to wash the wine bottle before I pour it? | Soll ich die Weinflasche waschen, bevor ich dir davon einschenke? |
| When I have free time. | Wenn ich Zeit habe. |
| 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. |
| Don't you think it's too far away from the tube station? | Denkst du nicht, dass es zu weit weg ist von der U-Bahn Haltestelle? |
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | Oh nein! Sind Sie sicher, dass nichts verfügbar ist? |
| It's too fruity. | Er ist zu fruchtig. |
| I live very close by. | Ich wohne hier in der Nähe. |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | Wie sieht für dich denn eine Englischlehrerin aus? |