







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 | |
|---|---|
| There is a little market near the school. | Es gibt einen kleinen Markt in der Nähe der Schule. |
| Do you have any sisters or brothers? | Hast du irgendwelche Geschwister? |
| Of course! It's my favourite pub. | Natürlich! Es ist einer meiner Lieblingspubs. |
| Yeah, I think this wardrobe is too small for two people. | Ja, ich denke der Kleiderschrank ist zu klein für zwei Menschen. |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | Ähm, apropos, da wir gerade beim Thema sind... |
| But that's true, some Chows are a bit aggressive. | Aber stimmt, manche Chow-Chows sind ein bisschen aggressiv. |
| So it's definitely not a divorce situation. | Also geht es definitiv nicht um eine Scheidung. |
| Do you mean the guy with the beard? | Meinst du den Kerl mit dem Bart? |
| People take cutlery to their rooms and don't bring it back! | Die Leute nehmen das Besteck mit in ihr Zimmer und bringen es nicht zurück! |
| You look a bit sad, are you okay? | Du siehst etwas trauring aus, geht es dir gut? |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | Sorry, ich habe vergessen zu erwähnen, dass man den Wasserhahn sehr vorsichtig aufdrehen muss. |
| Why? What's wrong? | Warum, was stimmt nicht? |
| And Pogo gets very scared of the crowd and the noise. | Und die Menschenmenge und die Geräusche erschrecken Pogo sehr. |
| Hmm.. yes, I need mushrooms, stock, celery... | Hmm.. ja, ich brauche Pilze, Brühe, Sellerie... |
| Is that what you want me to do? | Willst du, dass ich das mache? |
| I don't know, probably put it in the bin. | Keine Ahnung. Sie wahrscheinlich in die Mülltonne werfen. |
| I searched: does Pinocchio know he is not a real boy. | Ich habe gesucht nach: "Weiß Pinocchio, dass er kein echter Junge ist". |
| How much are they supposed to pay? | Wie viel müssen sie dir zahlen? |
| It makes all of our clothes stink! | Alle unsere Klamotten stinken dadurch! |
| Bear hates being at a vet, too. | Bear hasst es auch beim Tierarzt zu sein. |