







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 | |
|---|---|
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | Schau. Du kannst den Sonnenuntergang am besten von dieser Stelle aus betrachten. |
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | Willst du, dass ich Diego anrufe? |
| Yes it is, how are you? | Ja, wie geht es dir? |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | Das ist nicht leihen, sondern stehlen! |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Ich habe keine Ahnung was Arborio-Reis ist! |
| No, I don't have one! | Nein, ich habe keine! |
| Hello, do you have a Tesco Clubcard sir? | Hallo, haben Sie eine Tesco Clubkarte? |
| That's a very interesting combination. | Das ist eine sehr interessante Kombination. |
| How is it my fault? | Wie ist es meine Schuld? |
| Sorry to ask, but are you on your period or something? | Sorry für die Frage, aber hast du deine Tage? |
| Mike! You can't use people's stuff without asking! | Mike! Du kannst nicht die Dinge von anderen nehmen, ohne sie zu fragen! |
| Do we have to do that every time we need to open the door? | Müssen wir das jedes Mal machen, wenn wir die Türe öffnen möchten? |
| Is it really on the menu? | Steht das wirklich auf der Karte? |
| I can't believe you still don't get it! | Ich kann nicht glauben, dass du es immer noch nicht verstanden hast! |
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | Sollen wir uns an der Haltestelle treffen oder soll ich dich zu Hause abholen? |
| Okay, so what's our plan now? | Okay, also was machen wir jetzt? |
| It's in Islington, zone-1, it's the best place for me so far. | In Islington in Zone 1. Das ist für mich momentan der beste Ort. |
| Yeah, he is keen on moving house... | Ja, er würde gerne ausziehen... |
| Okay, the total is £36.74, sir. | Okay, das kostet dann insgesamt £36.74. |
| 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. |