







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 | |
|---|---|
| Really? How do I wake you up? | Echt? Wie wecke ich dich auf? |
| He wants to, but tonight it's impossible. | Er will, aber heute Abend ist es unmöglich. |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Eine Wohnung ist keine gute Idee wegen Bear, da es keinen Garten gibt. |
| Yeah, it's normal, he even hisses at my new socks sometimes! | Ja, das ist normal. Er faucht manchmal sogar meine neuen Socken an! |
| Where is your school, is it in central London? | Wo ist deine Schule? Liegt sie im Zentrum von London? |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Vielleicht hat sie wirklich eine Allergie gegen Katzen. Das wissen wir nicht. |
| There is nothing under 3,000 in Angel! | Es gibt in Angel nichts unter 3000! |
| So, I guess you are from Australia. | Ich denke, du bist aus Australien. |
| Are you close friends? | Seid ihr gute Freunde? |
| Why is that rice so special? | Warum ist dieser Reis so besonders? |
| Here you go sir, this is your receipt and your £20 cashback. | Hier bitteschön. Hier ist Ihr Kassenzettel und Ihre £20. |
| Here you can take it, be careful, it's very hot. | Hier, du kannst ihn dir nehmen, aber sei vorsichtig, er ist sehr heiß. |
| I'm checking again, there are only two forks and a teaspoon! | Ich schau nochmal nach. Es gibt nur zwei Gabeln und einen Teelöffel! |
| Oh, your girlfriend's cat... Does she live here with you? | Oh, die Katze deiner Freundin... Lebt sie hier mit dir? |
| Ah, I can't eat the breast, it's too dry for me! | Ah, ich kann die Brust nicht essen. Sie ist mir zu trocken! |
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | Natürlich, ich denke 2 Tomaten reichen aus. |
| And sometimes they don't come home for days. | Und manchmal kommen sie tagelang nicht nachhause. |
| It's too fruity. | Er ist zu fruchtig. |
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | Ja, der Frühling ist wahrscheinlich die schlimmste Zeit für Allergien! |
| I feel hungry, too. | Ich bin auch hungrig. |