







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | Ja, der Frühling ist wahrscheinlich die schlimmste Zeit für Allergien! |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | Na ja, ich bin es gewohnt heute schlechte Nachrichten zu bekommen. Was ist los? |
| I live just opposite the pub. | Ich lebe genau gegenüber vom Pub. |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | Außer Stechmücken, weil sie meinen Schlaf stören. |
| Yes, I like them, too. | Ja, die mag ich auch. |
| It goes faster, but we don't want to walk to the tube station. | Es ist schneller, aber wir wollen nicht zur U-Bahn-Haltestelle zu laufen. |
| Taking Bear out usually takes me an hour. | Mit Bear rauszugehen dauert normalerweise eine Stunde. |
| Oh sorry, unfortunately, that one is reserved. | Oh, tut mir leid, aber dieser Tisch ist leider reserviert. |
| Hope to see you later. | Ich hoffe, ich sehe dich später. |
| Welcome to the Diamond Duck, do you have a reservation, sir? | Willkommen zum Diamond Duck. Haben Sie eine Reservierung mein Herr? |
| I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Ich kann ihn mitbringen, wenn ich wieder für's Frühstück herkomme. |
| There is a little market near the school. | Es gibt einen kleinen Markt in der Nähe der Schule. |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | Ich bin hungrig, aber es ist besser etwas zu essen, wenn wir die Jungs treffen. |
| Is it possible not to be able to find return tickets? | Ist es möglich keine Fahrscheine für den Rückweg zu finden? |
| But for how many people? | Aber für wie viele Personen? |
| What’s their name? | Wie heißt er? |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | Ähm... Wir sind verheiratet... Ich meinte heute ist unser Hochzeitsjubiläum! |
| I need to use chicken stock for the risotto! | Ich muss Hühnerbrühe für das Risotto verwenden! |
| I'm just teasing you, dear, 200 degrees is okay! | Ich mache nur Spass! 200 Grad sind okay! |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | Ich habe eine Schwester und sie ist neunzehn Jahre alt. |