







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 | |
|---|---|
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Sorry, ich habe vergessen zu erwähnen, dass man den Wasserhahn sehr vorsichtig aufdrehen muss. |
| I think I'm going to order some duck, it's delicious. | Ich denke ich werde Ente bestellen. Die schmeckt köstlich. |
| Yes I did, why, isn't it normal? | Doch, habe ich. Warum? Ist das nicht normal? |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | Ich verstehe nicht, wieso sie es einen Bankfeiertag nennen. |
| I am planning to sleep in a bit since it's a holiday. | Ich plane ein bisschen auszuschlafen, da es ein Feiertag ist. |
| Hello Beatrix, it's me, Cate. | Hallo Beatrix, ich bin es, Cate. |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | Vielen Dank. Bis am Samstag um 13:00 Uhr. |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | Ich vermute er will etwas Wasser trinken. |
| Is there anything else I can do for you, love? | Gibt es sonst noch etwas was ich für dich tun kann, meine Liebe? |
| Um, on this floor, it's only me and a French girl next door. | Hier nur ich und ein französisches Mädchen nebenan. |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | Ähm... Ja... Klar! Es ist unser erstes Jubiläum! |
| Don't worry Mike, I think this one is better. | Keine Sorge Mike, ich denke dieser hier ist besser. |
| That's right, we should never forget how irresponsible my housemates are. | Stimmt, wir sollten niemals vergessen, wie unverantwortlich meine Mitbewohner sind. |
| Are there any fries or any kind of snacks? | Gibt es Pommes oder irgendeine Art von Snack? |
| Oh my god! It’s almost 12 o’clock. | Oh mein Gott! Es ist fast 12 Uhr. |
| Really? I don't want to ruin your plan, but... | Echt? Ich möchte deinen Plan nicht ruinieren, aber... |
| Hey, there is a stranger in the toilet, who is he? | Hey, in der Toilette ist ein Fremder. Wer ist das? |
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | Ja, das ist ungewöhnlich, aber es steht so im Rezept. |
| Yes, he is totally fine after resting for a while. | Ja, ihm geht es richtig gut, nachdem er sich eine Weile ausgeruht hat. |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | Es ist schwer für mich, mehr als einmal pro Jahr hinzureisen. |