







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 | |
|---|---|
| He looks like he is interested in you! | Es scheint so, als ob er an dir interessiert wäre! |
| How much do you pay for your room? | Wie viel zahlst du für dein Zimmer? |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | Stimmt, ich bin mir sicher die zahlen nicht so viel! |
| I didn't know that, I hope it's not a big problem for him. | Das wusste ich nicht. Ich hoffe es ist kein schlimmes Problem für ihn. |
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | Hast du Russland gesagt? Das ist ungewöhnlich! |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | Das ist nicht leihen, sondern stehlen! |
| I think I deserve a kiss... | Ich denke ich habe einen Kuss verdient... |
| I want to try the sauvignon blanc. | Ich möchte den Sauvignon Blanc probieren. |
| Do you have any brothers or sisters? | Hast du irgendwelche Geschwister? |
| I think we need to put some of your clothes away. | Ich denke wir müssen ein paar deiner Klamotten ausräumen. |
| No, actually, he is properly toilet trained. | Nein, er ist eigentlich stubenrein. |
| No, but I definitely don't want to live in that house anymore! | Nein, aber ich möchte definitiv nicht weiter in diesem Haus leben! |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | Normalerweise kostet er viel mehr als die anderen. |
| But we have to be quick, I don't have much time. | Aber wir müssen schnell sein. Ich habe nicht viel Zeit. |
| I only have 3 hours today. | Ich arbeite heute nur 3 Stunden. |
| I'm a web designer. | Ich bin ein Web Designer. |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | Mein Meeting beginnt um 13 Uhr. |
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | Sicher meine Liebe. Willst du ein Glas oder eine Flasche? |
| It has 1 year to pass its expiry date. | Das Produkt ist ein Jahr lang haltbar. |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | Ich habe keinen Plan, da ich nicht erwartet habe, dass so etwas passiert. |