Master the Present Simple: Your A1 Guide to English Habits and Facts — A1 English grammar lesson by Langcom

Master the Present Simple: Your A1 Guide to English Habits and Facts

Raúl Maguiña

Gründer von Langcom | Prüfer für Cambridge- und SIELE-Prüfungen

September 21, 2026

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The Present Simple tense helps you talk about things that happen regularly, are always true, or are facts. It’s essential for describing your daily life, habits, and general truths in English. For most subjects (I, you, we, they), you use the base form of the verb, like I eat. However, for he, she, und it, you must add an -s to the verb, for example, He eats. To make questions or negative sentences, you will use the auxiliary verbs do oder does. Mastering this tense is a key step in your A1 English journey.

What is the Present Simple Tense?

The Present Simple is one of the first and most important tenses you learn in English. It helps you describe basic information about your life and the world around you.

  • We use it for things you do every day, like I drink coffee in the morning.
  • We also use it for facts that are always true, such as The sun rises in the east.

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When Do We Use the Present Simple?

The Present Simple has a few main uses. It helps us communicate clearly about different types of actions and situations.

  • For Habits and Routines: These are actions you do regularly.
    • I wake up at 7 AM every day.
    • She goes to school by bus.
  • For Facts and General Truths: These are things that are always true.
    • Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
    • Birds fly.
  • For Permanent Situations: These are things that are true for a long time.
    • He lives in London.
    • They work in an office.
  • For Schedules and Timetables: This includes fixed events like train times or class schedules.
    • The train leaves at 8 PM.
    • The lesson starts at 9 AM.

How Do We Form the Present Simple?

The form of the Present Simple changes slightly depending on the subject of the sentence. Pay close attention to the -s ending!

Affirmative Sentences

Für I, you, we, they, verwenden wir die Grundform des Verbs.

  • I like pizza.
  • You play football.

Für he, she, it, fügen wir hinzu -s oder -es to the verb.

  • He works in a bank.
  • She studies English. (verb ending in -y after a consonant changes to -ies)
  • It rains a lot here.

Negative Sentences

Wir verwenden do not (oder don’t) und does not (oder doesn’t) vor der Grundform des Verbs.

  • Für I, you, we, they: do not / don’t + base verb.
    • I don’t like fish.
    • They don’t live here.
  • Für he, she, it: does not / doesn’t + base verb (no -s on the main verb).
    • He doesn’t speak French.
    • She doesn’t eat meat.

Questions

Wir verwenden Do oder Does at the beginning of the question, before the subject, and then the base form of the verb.

  • Für I, you, we, they: Do + subject + base verb?
    • Do you like coffee?
    • Do they work here?
  • Für he, she, it: Does + subject + base verb? (no -s on the main verb).
    • Does he live in Madrid?
    • Does it rain often?

Common Time Expressions for the Present Simple

These words and phrases often go with the Present Simple to show how often something happens:

  • Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never.
    • I always drink water.
    • She never eats breakfast.
  • Time phrases: every day, every week, every month, once a week, twice a year, on Mondays, in the morning.
    • We go to the gym every Tuesday.
    • He visits his family once a month.
Present Simple Forms Summary
Betreff Ja Negativ Frage
I / You / We / They I work. I don’t work. Do I work?
He / She / It He works. He doesn’t work. Does he work?

Beispiele

  • I study English at Langcom.
  • She watches TV in the evening.
  • They don’t like cold weather.
  • Does he play tennis?
  • The shop opens at 9 AM.
  • We usually have dinner at 7 PM.
  • My cat sleeps a lot.
  • Do you live near here?

Übung

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Häufige Fehler bei Spanischsprechern

Many Spanish speakers make a few common mistakes with the Present Simple:

  • Das Vergessen des -s für he/she/it:
    Falsch: He work in an office.
    Richtig: He works in an office.
  • Forgetting do/does in questions and negatives:
    Falsch: You like coffee?
    Richtig: Do you like coffee?
    Falsch: She not speak Spanish.
    Richtig: She doesn’t speak Spanish.
  • Adding -s to the main verb in negative sentences or questions with does:
    Falsch: Does she likes pizza?
    Richtig: Does she like pizza?
    Falsch: He doesn’t works here.
    Richtig: He doesn’t work here.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Wozu wird das Präsens hauptsächlich verwendet?

The main use of the Present Simple is to talk about habits, daily routines, and general facts or truths, like I drink water every day oder The Earth is round.

When do I add an ‘-s’ to the verb?

You add an -s to the verb only when the subject is he, she, oder it (third person singular), for example, He walks, She eats, It rains.

How do I make a negative sentence in the Present Simple?

To make a negative sentence, use do not (oder don’t) for I, you, we, they, und does not (oder doesn’t) for he, she, it, followed by the base form of the verb. For example, I don’t like coffee oder She doesn’t work here.

How do I form questions in the Present Simple?

Start your question with Do für I, you, we, they, oder Does für he, she, it. Then add the subject and the base form of the verb. For example, Do you live here? oder Does he speak English?

Ist das Präsens für die A2 Key-Prüfung (KET) wichtig?

Yes, the Present Simple is very important for the A2 Key (KET) exam. You will need to use it correctly in all parts of the exam, especially when talking about your daily life or describing pictures.

Verwandte Lektionen

Über den Autor: Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña ist Leiter der Asociación Educativa Langcom, einem autorisierten Cambridge English-Vorbereitungszentrum in USA. Mit mehr als einem Jahrzehnt Erfahrung in der Sprachausbildung und der internationalen Zertifizierung hat er Tausenden von Schülern, Lehrern und Bildungseinrichtungen in 25 Ländern zu Cambridge-, IELTS-, TOEFL- und Michigan-Englischzertifikaten verholfen.

Erfahren Sie mehr über Langcom →.

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