







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 | |
|---|---|
| Yes, he is one of them. | Ja genau, er ist einer davon. |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Ja, meinst du Dreiräder? |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | Ich sehe sie oft dort wo ich arbeite. |
| Do you like red or white onions? | Magst du rote oder weiße Zwiebeln? |
| Nope, oyster cards are only for transport in London. | Nein, die Oyster Card gilt nur für Transport innerhalb von London. |
| First of all, it's so sad to see them in pain. | Erstens, es ist so traurig dein Haustier mit Schmerzen zu sehen. |
| Where is your school, is it in central London? | Wo ist deine Schule? Liegt sie im Zentrum von London? |
| How much are they supposed to pay? | Wie viel müssen sie dir zahlen? |
| Sorry, madam, Friday is one of our busiest nights! | Sorry gnädige Frau, Freitagabend ist bei uns immer viel los! |
| But everybody calls him Rocco. | Aber jeder nennt ihn Rocco. |
| Well, I don't think we need to cook too many things at once. | Nun, ich denke wir müssen nicht zu viele Dinge auf einmal kochen. |
| Yes, it's in Piccadilly Circus right in the centre. | Ja, sie liegt am Piccadilly Circus, genau im Zentrum. |
| I don't have time to cook everyday. | Ich habe nicht jeden Tag Zeit zum Kochen. |
| Yes, my number is 0773***0282. | Ja, meine Nummer ist 0773***0282 |
| Hello, is that Cate? | Hallo, spreche ich mit Cate? |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | Willst sonst noch jemand etwas zu trinken haben? |
| These days I'm into 60's, 70's remixes. | Momentan Remixe von Liedern aus den 60ern, 70ern. |
| How is it my fault? | Wie ist es meine Schuld? |
| Absolutely not, while you are working you smoke like a chimney. | Absolut nicht. Du rauchst wie ein Schlot während du arbeitest. |
| It's a kind of welcoming party for her. | Es ist ein Art Willkommensparty für sie. |