







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 | |
|---|---|
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | Komm schon Mike, es geht nicht darum, ob ich zu Hause bin. |
| Of course, 2 tomatoes are enough, I think. | Natürlich, ich denke 2 Tomaten reichen aus. |
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | Möchtest du also, dass ich alleine nach einem Haus suche? |
| So it's definitely not a divorce situation. | Also geht es definitiv nicht um eine Scheidung. |
| The room is spacious and sunny and the bed looks comfortable! | Das Zimmer ist groß und sonnig und das Bett sieht gemütlich aus! |
| Sure, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | Klar, mein Name ist Cate und meine Nummer ist 077... |
| Hmm... Tomorrow is a bank holiday. | Hmm... Morgen ist ein Feiertag. |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | Gibt es Brot zum toasten? |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | Ja, aber der Raum ist quadratisch und es gibt nur vier große Objekte darin. |
| Yes, it's in Piccadilly Circus right in the centre. | Ja, sie liegt am Piccadilly Circus, genau im Zentrum. |
| Also, one of my friends works there. | Einer meiner Freunde arbeitet auch dort. |
| There is no direct flight from London to Perth. | Es gibt keinen Direktflug von London nach Perth. |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | Das Treffen ist nicht das eigentliche Problem! |
| Yes, she is coming back, but isn't it what I always do? | Ja, sie kommt zurück. Aber mache ich das nicht immer? |
| Yeah, our room has only got one window! | Ja, unser Zimmer hat nur ein Fenster! |
| I don't like violence in real life, I only like it in movies. | Ich mag keine Gewalt im echten Leben, ich mag sie nur in Filmen. |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | Soll ich etwas anderes machen? |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | Warte kurz. Beide wiegen 300g und sind von derselben Marke. |
| I've got a meeting with some people. | Ich habe ein Meeting mit ein paar Leuten. |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | Du klingst wie eine Mischung aus britisch und australisch. |