Grammar. Present Simple/ Present Continuous.

Exercise 16. Complete the sentences by using the verbs in brackets. Use the Present Simple or Present Continuous.

1. Shhh. The baby (sleep)… . The baby (sleep) … for ten hours every night.

2. Right now I’m in a class. I (sit) … at my desk. I usually (sit) … at the same desk in class every day.

3. Ali (speak) … Arabic. Arabic is his native language, but right now he (speak) … English.

4. Our teacher (stand, not) … up right now. She (sit) … on the corner of the desk.

5. It’s 6:00 p.m. Mary is at home. She (eat) … dinner. She always (eat) …dinner with her family around six o’clock.

6. It (rain, not) … right now. The sun (shine) … , and the sky (be) … blue.

7. (Rain, it) … a lot of southern California?

8. Look out the window. (Rain, it) … ? Should I take my umbrella?

9. It’s 7:30 a.m. and the Wilsons are in their kitchen. Mrs. Wilson (sit) … at the breakfast table. She (read) … the morning paper. She (read) … newspaper every morning. Mr. Wilson (pour) … a cup of coffee. He (drink) … two cups of coffee every morning before he (go) … to work. There is a cartoon on TV, but the children (watch, not) … it. They (play) … with their toys instead. They usually (watch) … cartoons in the morning, but this morning they (pay, not) … any attention to the TV. Mr. And Mrs. Wilson (watch, not) … the TV either. They (like, not) … to watch cartoons.

10. Alice (take, not) … the bus to school every day. She usually (walk) … instead. (Take, you) … the bus to get to school every day, or (walk, you) …?

11. Right now Yoko (read) … an article in the newspaper, but she (understand, not) … it. Some of the vocabulary (be) … too difficult for her.

12. I (need) … to call my parents today and tell them about my new apartment. They can’t call me because they (know, not) … my new telephone number.

13. This tea is good. I (like) … it. What kind is it? I (prefer) … tea to coffee. How about you?

14. Right now I (think) … about sea gulls and waves. I (think) … that sea gulls are beautiful birds.

Exercise 17. Use the Present Simple or Present Continuous. Say what context for each extract could be: commentary, review, letter reply, postcard, telephone conversation, explanation/ demonstration.

1. Let me explain what you have to do. First you (take) ­­­… the photos and (sort) … them into categories. Then you (file) … them according to subject. (______________)

2. We (hope) … you (enjoy)… this marvelous weather as much as we are. We (sunbathe) … and (go) … swimming every day. Next week we (go) … snorkeling. (______________)

3. The play is set in London in 1890. The action (take) … place in Sir Don Wyatt’s mansion. When the curtain (go) … up, the hero and heroine (sit) … in the lounge. They (argue) … . (______________)

4. The house is in a mess because we’ve got the workmen in. The plumber (put) … in a new bath, the electricians (rewire) … the system, and the carpenter (build) … us some new bookshelves. (______________)

5. Dear Jane,

Sorry to hear about your problem at work. I (think) … you (do) … the right thing, but I (doubt) … whether your boss really (know) … his job from what you (tell) … me! (______________)

6. Pym (pass) … to Smith, who (run) … straight at the central defence and (shoot) …, and Gomez (push) … it over the bar for a corner. (___________)

Exercise 18. Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Simple or Presenrt Continuous.

1. What … (you/drink)? It looks awful. 2. You … (constantly/ panic) , aren’t you? Calm down! 3. Hot air … (rise). 4. The coach … (leave) at 6 this evening. 5. It’s not right, you … (know) – I … (agree). 6. You can’t believe a word he says. He …( always/ lie). 7. She … (always/ get up) early. 8. He … (always/ upset) people by asking personal questions. 9. Young people … (become) more and more politically aware nowadays.

Exercise 19. A) Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Simple or Presenrt Continuous.

Ted: Hallo, Dad, I am in Birmingham. It 1) …is pouring … (pour) with rain, and I 2) … (not/ have got) any money.

Bob: What 3) … (you /want) me to do about it?

Ted: Could you come and pick me up?

Bob: Ted, you 4) … (always/ ask) me to do this! I 5) … (get) tired of it.

Ted: Please, Dad. I’m tired and hungry. My evening classes 6)…(start) at 7.00 and I have to be there on time. Can’t Mum come and get me?

Bob: The Smiths 7) … (visit) us tonight and she is busy in the kitchen. She 8) … (bake) a cake at the moment.

Ted: Please, Dad. I 9) … (ask) you to do this for me one last time. The success of my presentation tonight 10) … (depend) on you.

Bob: OK. I’ll be there in half an hour. But this is the last time. I 11) … (mean) it!

B) Which of the present forms in the dialogue above are used to express:

1. changing or developing situation ______

2. states (stative verbs) ______

3. repeated actions with “always” expressing annoyance ______

4. actions happening at the moment of speaking ______

5. timetables/ programmes (future meaning) ______

6. fixed arrangements in the near future ______

Exercise 20. State Verbs. Fill in with the Present Simple or Present Continuous.

1. A: I 1) … (think) about visiting Jane this afternoon.

B: I wouldn’t bother. I 2) … (think) she’s away on holiday.

2. A: Mr Jones 3) … (have) a telephone message from his wife.

B: Can it wait? He 4) … (have) a business meeting and I don’t want to disturb him.

3. A: The police 5) … (still/ look) for fingerprints left in the room.

B: It 6) … (look) as if they won’t find the criminal.

4. A: I 7) … (see) my boss about a pay rise this afternoon.

B: I 8) … (see). That’s why you’re wearing a suit and a tie.

5. A: How much 9) … (your new baby/ weigh)?

B: I don’t know yet. The nurse 10) … (weigh) him at the moment.

6. A: Why 11) … (you/ taste) the soup? Is there anything wrong with it?

B: Yes, it 12) … (taste) too sweet. I think I’ve use sugar instead of salt.

7. A: Why 15) … (you/ smell) the inside of your car?

B: Because it 16) … of petrol and I want to check for leaks.