







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 | |
|---|---|
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | Okay, abgemacht! Du hast 3 Tage ab jetzt, um darüber nachzudenken! |
| Why do you think it's weird? | Warum denkst du es ist eigenartig? |
| Do you mean the guy with the beard? | Meinst du den Kerl mit dem Bart? |
| You know tomorrow is my last day. | Du weißt, dass morgen mein letzter Tag ist. |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | Das passiert nur, wenn er extrem gestresst ist! |
| We call it a sixth sense! | Wir nennen es den sechsten Sinn! |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | Ich kann natürlich kochen, aber nur wenn ich Lust dazu habe. |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | Warum gehst du nicht an dein Handy? |
| 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? |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | Du siehst mir nicht aus wie eine Englischlehrerin. |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | Hallo, es tut mir leid, dass ich ein bisschen spät dran bin. |
| Hey, the water is boiling, do you want me to pour it into a pot? | Hey, das Wasser kocht. Soll ich es in einen Topf schütten? |
| I mean, do you cook Asian or other kinds of cuisines? | Ich meine, kochst du asiatische Speisen oder Gerichte aus anderen Ländern? |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | Ja, meinst du Dreiräder? |
| As I'm a smoker, I prefer sitting outside. | Ich würde es bevorzugen draußen zu sitzen, da ich Raucher bin. |
| I have no idea what arborio rice is! | Ich habe keine Ahnung was Arborio-Reis ist! |
| 50% of 135 is 67.50... And it comes to totally 202.50. | 50% von 135 sind 67,50... Und insgesamt macht das 202,50. |
| Maybe I know your friend. | Vielleicht kennen ich deinen Freund. |
| No, they live in Australia. | Nein, sie leben in Australien. |
| Thank you very much! | Vielen Dank! |