







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 | |
|---|---|
| Why don't you get it then? Do you want to see upstairs or not? | Warum holen Sie sich dann nicht das Haus? Möchten Sie das obere Stockwerk ansehen oder nicht? |
| I don't like smoking in the kitchen. | Ich mag es nicht in der Küche zu rauchen. |
| I don't want you to spend a fortune. | Ich möchte nicht, dass du ein Vermögen ausgibst. |
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | Mein Vater ist Brite und meine Mutter ist Australierin. |
| It's got some water marks on it! | Es hat Wasserflecken! |
| A flat is not a good idea for Bear, it doesn't have a garden. | Eine Wohnung ist keine gute Idee wegen Bear, da es keinen Garten gibt. |
| Nothing, 'cause I don't know what the woman looks like. | Nichts, weil ich nicht weiß wie die Frau aussieht. |
| Do we have any bread to toast? | Gibt es Brot zum toasten? |
| Nope, as I said before, they live in Australia. | Nein, wie ich schon erwähnt habe, leben sie in Australien. |
| No, what is that? | Nein, was denn? |
| Oh, your girlfriend's cat... Does she live here with you? | Oh, die Katze deiner Freundin... Lebt sie hier mit dir? |
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | Ja, der Frühling ist wahrscheinlich die schlimmste Zeit für Allergien! |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | Hallo, sind Sie Cate? |
| No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | Nein, das werde ich nicht... Ich will kein Haus mehr in Mayfair! |
| Anyway, you only have 10 days left to leave that house. | Egal, du hast also 10 Tage Zeit das Haus zu verlassen. |
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Hallo mein Freund, wie geht es dir? |
| 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. |
| I don't have time to cook everyday. | Ich habe nicht jeden Tag Zeit zum Kochen. |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | Ja, ich möchte das Badezimmer sehen... |
| She is half Japanese, half Australian. | Sie ist halb Japanerin, halb Australierin. |