







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 | |
|---|---|
| You are absolutely right! | Du hast absolut Recht! |
| Do you want to bet on it? | Möchtest du darauf wetten? |
| Hmm... actually, we have to boil it. | Hmm... wir müssen es eigentlich kochen. |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | Was hätte ich sonst tun sollen? Erwartest du, dass ich nicht mehr schlafe bis ich sterbe? |
| And secondly, vets are so expensive! | Und zweitens, Tierärzte sind so teuer! |
| There is no direct flight from London to Perth. | Es gibt keinen Direktflug von London nach Perth. |
| Is the first one washing the dishes or cleaning? | Was ist die Schlimmste? Den Abwasch machen oder saubermachen? |
| I need to wake him up now! | Ich muss ihn jetzt aufwecken! |
| Well, one of them is 2,800, but bills are not included... | Nun, eines kostet 2800, aber die Nebenkosten sind nicht inklusive... |
| My laptop is in it. | Mein Laptop ist darin. |
| Do you want me to put it in the bin? | Soll ich sie in den Müll werfen? |
| I'm really sorry, what kind of sickness is it? | Das tut mir wirklich leid. Was für eine Art Krankheit ist es? |
| Oh f*ck off, I've got to go now... | Oh hau ab. Ich muss jetzt gehen... |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | Übrigens, ich mag die Farbe der Wände... Was denkst du? |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | Und jetzt sind mir ein Haufen Pilze übrig geblieben, die ich verwenden kann. |
| Yes, I can hear you, but I don't understand! | Ja, ich höre dich, aber ich verstehe es nicht! |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | Ich weiß nicht wirklich, was ist deiner? |
| Do you mean Rebecca and Cecilia? | Du meinst Rebecca und Cecilia? |
| Do you like them with or without the skin on? | Magst du sie mit oder ohne Haut? |
| There is also some cheese, but it's a bit mouldy. | Es gibt auch ein bisschen Käse, aber der ist schon etwas schimmelig. |