







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 | |
|---|---|
| I don't think so, trains leave about every 20 minutes. | Ich denke nicht, dass das nötig ist, da es alle 20 Minuten einen Zug gibt. |
| What genre do you listen to? | Welche Musikrichtung hörst du? |
| Oh hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | Oh hallo... Ich habe vergessen zu erwähnen, dass es auch ein ganz besonderer Anlass ist... |
| Isn't it too early for dinner? | Ist das nicht etwas zu früh fürs Abendessen? |
| Do you want to bet on it? | Möchtest du darauf wetten? |
| Thank god there is nothing to worry about. | Gottseidank ist es nichts bedenkliches. |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | Ich sehe sie oft dort wo ich arbeite. |
| Diego, do you want me to get you anything to eat? | Diego, soll ich dir etwas zu essen holen? |
| Do you have another one? | Hast du ein anderes? |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | Ist dein Hund ein Chow-Chow? |
| What's up? Is everything okay? | Was ist los? Ist alles okay? |
| Do you like red or white onions? | Magst du rote oder weiße Zwiebeln? |
| Umm, Dick is here, dear, he is the landlord... | Ähm, es ist Dick Schatz. Er ist der Vermieter... |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | Normalerweise lesen Mädchen eine halbe Stunde lang die Weinkarte, bevor sie bestellen. |
| I don't want you to spend a fortune. | Ich möchte nicht, dass du ein Vermögen ausgibst. |
| Yes it is, how are you? | Ja, wie geht es dir? |
| I think Diego and I are the only smokers in the house. | Ich denke ich und Diego sind die einzigen Raucher im Haus. |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | Ich habe eine Schwester und sie ist neunzehn Jahre alt. |
| Here you go sir, this is your receipt and your £20 cashback. | Hier bitteschön. Hier ist Ihr Kassenzettel und Ihre £20. |
| The packets have 2 pieces in them. | Eine Packung enthält 2 Stück. |