







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 is a plumber, dear, apparently it's clogged. | Er ist ein Klempner, Schatz. Scheinbar ist die Toilette verstopft. |
| Do you want me to get you a glass of wine? | Soll ich dir ein Glas Wein holen? |
| Do we have any paper towels? | Haben wir irgendwelches Küchenpapier? |
| That's why I never trust quiet people... | Deswegen vertraue ich ruhigen Menschen nie... |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | Wie sieht für dich denn eine Englischlehrerin aus? |
| No, but I definitely don't want to live in that house anymore! | Nein, aber ich möchte definitiv nicht weiter in diesem Haus leben! |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | Ich habe keine Ahnung... Aber ich hoffe die Person hat einen guten Grund! |
| The recipe is not from the internet, it's from a Jamie Oliver book. | Das Rezept stammt nicht aus dem Internet. Es ist aus einem Jamie Oliver Buch. |
| It's all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | Es geht ausschließlich um meine kleine Liebe Katze Pogo. |
| I'm sorry for not showing up at your opening. | Tut mir leid, dass ich bei der Eröffnung nicht da war. |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | Wessen Katze?... Meinst du meine Katze? |
| Here you can take it, be careful, it's very hot. | Hier, du kannst ihn dir nehmen, aber sei vorsichtig, er ist sehr heiß. |
| Erm, we don't have any, but there is someone else's bread. | Öhm, wir haben keins, aber es gibt Brot, das nicht mir gehört. |
| Do you want me to put the chicken into the cooker first? | Soll ich das Hühnchen als Erstes in den Kochtopf legen? |
| I need to wake him up now! | Ich muss ihn jetzt aufwecken! |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | Oh, sorry! Du machst Dinge nicht gerne sauber. Ich kann es machen. |
| I don't think you really want me to stay here anymore! | Ich denke du willst nicht wirklich, dass ich länger hier bleibe! |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | Es ist immer noch £5 mehr als für das große Zimmer! |
| Why do you want to live there? | Warum möchtest du dort leben? |
| It's Marvin Gaye, from the 60's, but this is the remix. | Marvin Gaye aus den 60ern, aber das ist der Remix. |