The Present Continuous Tense.

В Continuous не вживаются : to be, to see, to hear, to feel, to know,

to understand, to think, to begin, to finish, to enter, to lose, to find,

to forget, to have (except : to have breakfast, to have a lesson (a smoke,

a good time), to recognize, to want, to like.

Exercise 1. Make the following sentences: a) interrogative and b) negative.

1. The secretary is looking through the files now. 2. I am expecting a call soon. 3. The students are listening to the speaker at the moment. 4. We are concentrating on French this semester. 5. We are dining out tonight. 6. The child is crying in the yard. 7. The tea is boiling over.

Exercise 2. Make up questions, using the following sentences, and answer them.

• Open the text-book, please.

• What are you doing?

• I’m opening the book.

1.Read the text. 2. Count the chairs. 3. Take the pencil from your neighbor. 4. Shut the door. 5.Leave the classroom. 6. Say the dialogue. 7. Drill the exercise. 8. Put down the new words. 9. Go to the blackboard. 10. Translate the text.

Exercise 3. Put the following into the Present Continuous for the nearest future.

The bus will come soon.-The bus is coming soon.

1. I’ll come to see you soon. 2. He will arrive in London the day after tomorrow. 3. She will leave early on Thursday. 4. They’ll play chess this afternoon. 5. The students will take their exams on Monday. 6. Will you play tennis in the evening? 7. We shall have cakes for tea in the afternoon. 8. They will go to the pictures in the evening.

Exercise 4. Answer the questions. Mind: the Continuous Tense is never used with “when”.

1. Are you watching TV? When do you watch it? 2. Do you speak English? Are you speaking English now? 3. Are you smiling now? Why? 4. Do I teach you English? Am I teaching you at present? 5. Are you laughing now? When do people laugh? 6. Are you herring anywhere? When do people hurry? 7. Are you making notes just now? Do you make notes at the language lesson?

Exercise 5. Use the verb in Present Continuous and Present Indefinite.

I (to take) my sister to work now. He (to help) his father at this moment. We (to drink) still tea. I (not to sleep) now. She (not to drink) coffee at the moment. My mother (not to work) now. You (to work) now? He (to play) now? What you (to do) now? What your brother (to drink) now? Everybody (to have) a good time now? She (to take) medicine now? They (to speak) English now?

1. I (to take) my sister to work every day. 2. He (to help) his father very often. 3. We usually (to drink) tea in the morning. 4. I (not to sleep) in the daytime. 5. She (not to drink) coffee after lunch. 6. My mother (not to work) at an office. 7. You (to work) every day? 8. He (to play) in the afternoon? 9. What you (to do) every morning. 10. What your brother (to drink) in the evening? 11. Everybody (to have) a good time every Sunday? 12. How often she (to take) medicine? 13. What language they usually (to speak).

Exercise 6. Read the following dialogue. Memorize it. Give the dialogue variations of your own.

Dick: What time is it, Bob?

Bob: It’s just eleven o’clock.

Dick: My watch is slow. I have a quarter to eleven. By the way, do you have a luncheon date?

Bob: Yes, Nick and I are meeting the Nelsons for lunch at eleven thirty.

Dick: Are they neighbors of yours?

Bob: Yes, they are and by the way, we are going to a lecture with them tomorrow night.

Dick: What’s the subject of the lecture?

Bob: It’s about ecology problems. Do you want to go with us?

Dick: Yes, let’s go together. What time does the lecture start?

Bob: At seven o’clock.

Dick: Where do you want us to meet you?

Bob: Let’s meet in the lobby of the auditorium at a quarter to seven.

Dick: O.K. How long is the lecture?

Bob: It lasts for about an hour and a half. Well, it’s getting late. Nick is waiting for me.

Dick: Yes, it’s almost eleven-thirty. Where is Nick now?

Bob: He is waiting for me at the hotel. I’m late now. So goodbye.

Dick: So long.

Bob: See you tomorrow night.

Exercise 7. Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Indefinite or Continuous Tense.

I. 1. Who (to knock) at the door? 2. – “You (to play) golf today, Daddy? I (to be) late.” “No, not today.”-“Why? You (to feel) well?” “Oh I (to be) all right.” 3. It (to rain), take your umbrella. 4. We (to drink) coffee every morning. 5. What this word (to mean)? 6. At this moment we (to do) an exercise on articles. 7. You (to know) that boy over there? 8. “What you (to do), Tom?” “Let me (to see) what you (to draw).” 9.”How Peter (to get) on at school?” “Very well. He (to seem) to like life.” 10. What you (to want)? 11. How long it (to take) you to get to work, usually? 12. You (to like) what you (to do) now? 13. You (to eat) too much, so of course you (to get) fat.

II. 1. “You (to wear) a new coat?” “Yes, you (to like) it?” “ The colour (to suit) you but it (not to fit) you very well. It (to be) much too big.” 2. Mr. Black often (to go) to the theatre but his sister (not to go) very often. 3. “Why that man (to stand) in the middle of the road?” “ He (to try) to get across. He (to wait) for a gap in the traffic.” “Why he (not to use) the subway?” “Some people (not to bother) to see the subway. They (to risk) their lives.” 4. “I am just going out to get an evening paper.” “But it (to rain).” 5. “ Lunch (to be) ready, Mother? I (to be) hungry and I (to be) in a hurry. I (to play) football this afternoon.” “Well, I (to be) sorry, but lunch (not to be) ready yet.”

The Past Continuous Tense.

Exercise 1. Complete the following sentences, using the Past Continuous Tense.

1. The train (to pull) out of the station when I appeared on the platform. 2. She (to pack) the suitcase when I entered the room. 3. The cat (to wait) on the doorstep when I came in. 4. The children (to do) their homework at this time yesterday. 5. He (to work) from 8 in the morning till 5 in the afternoon yesterday.

6. She (to read) the whole evening yesterday. 7. I (not to drink) tea at this time yesterday. I (to eat) a banana. 8. The light went out when we (to have) supper. 9. The fire still (to burn) at 6 o’clock in the morning. 10. My friends (not to do) their homework at six o’clock yesterday.

Exercise 2. Complete the following sentences, using the words in brackets in Past Continuous.

When I saw him… (he, to read)

When I saw him he was reading.

1. When I saw her… (she, to write her exercise). 2. When I saw him… (he, to come out of the shop). 3. When I came into the room… (they, to sit round the table). 4. When I entered the cabinet… (he, to do one’s morning exercise). 5. When the telephone rang up… (she, to sit comfortably in the armchair). 6. When I went out… (the sun, to shine). 7. When I met you yesterday… (you, to hurry along the street). 8. When I saw her yesterday… (she, to cross the road). 9. When I first tried to speak to him… (he, to stand in the corridor). 10. When the teacher came in… (the students, to discuss the news). 11. When the nurse appeared in the yard…(I…, to sit, to look at the rain, to feel awfully).

Exercise 3. Answer the questions, using Past Continuous.

- What were you doing while your mother was cooking dinner?

a) - While mother was cooking dinner I was doing the room.

b) - I was doing the room.

1. What was James doing while Maggie was washing up? (repair the radio)

2. What was Jane doing while John was repairing the bicycle? (make sandwiches)

3. What were you doing while your sister was watching TV? (sleep)

4. What were they doing while their children were playing in the garden? (have a rest)

5. What was Thomas doing while his wife was playing the piano? (read the newspaper)

6. What were your brothers doing while you were making tea? (play chess)

7. What were they doing while she was cooking breakfast? (lay the table)

Exercise 4. Put the verbs in brackets into Past Indefinite or Past Continuous.

I. 1. I (to go) to the cinema yesterday. 2. I (to go) to the cinema at four o’clock yesterday. 3. I (to go) to the cinema when you met me. 4. I (to do) my homework the whole evening yesterday. 5. I (to do) my homework when mother came in. 6. I (to do) my homework yesterday. 7. I (to do) my homework from five till eight yesterday. 8. I (to do) my homework at six o’clock yesterday. 9. I (not to play) the piano yesterday. I (to write) a letter to my friend. 10. I (not to play) the piano at four o’clock yesterday. I (to read) a book. 11. He (not to sleep) when father came home. He (to do) his homework. 12. When I (to go) to work the day before yesterday, I met Mike and Pete. They (to talk) and (to laugh), too. They (to tell) me a funny story. Soon I (to laugh), too. I still (to laugh) when we came to the office.

II. 1. You (to do) your homework yesterday? 2. You (to do) your homework from eight till ten yesterday? 3. Why she (to sleep) at seven o’clock yesterday? 4. He (to sit) at the table the whole evening yesterday? 5. What Nick (to do) when you came to his place? 6. What you (to do) when I rang you up? 7. What he (to do) yesterday? – He (to read) a book. 8. What he (to do) the whole evening yesterday? – He (to read) a book. 9. She (to sleep) when you came home? 10. When Nick (to come) home, his brother (to play) with his toys. 11. When I (to open) the door, the cat (to sit) on the table.

III. We (to walk) down the street in the direction of Mike’s house, when we (to see) him in the window of the bus that (to pass) by. He (to recognize) us, too, but could not get off as the bus (to be) overcrowded. We (to be) very sorry that we (to have) no chance to speak to him. But we could do nothing and (to decide) to go back. At that very moment we (to hear) Mike’s voice behind us. “How funny”,- he (to say), “I (to go) to your place when I suddenly (to see) you here. I (to be) so glad to see you.”