Practice

Exercise 1 – ORAL. Read the sentences and comment on the use of the present continuous tense. Translate them.

1.Let’s go home; it’s getting late. 2. Quick! They are coming! 3. Gerge, what are you doing here? 4. At the moment I’m laughing because I’m so happy. 5. My car is waiting for you at the corner of the street. 6. Are you telling me the truth? 7. Hello! Where are you running to in such a hurry? 8. Miss Marple, you are not listening. 9. Marry is dressing for the party. She is sitting in front of the mirror. The children are watching her. 10. You know, I am not a sportsman, but I am just learning to ride. 11. The girls are staying with Aunt Dorothy. 12. Don’t you see they are ruining him? 13. I have a feeling that her life is hanging by a hair and that any delay may be fatal. 14. Possibly you are paying too much attention to local gossip. 15. She is taking all kinds of medicines. 16. The economic situation is getting better. 17. The weather is changing from year to year. 18. I don’t believe I am making the slightest progress. 19. Think it over carefully; the situation is going from bad to worse. 20. He is always waiting for more.

Exercise 2 – ORAL. Answer the questions, using the words in brackets.

1. Are you drawing? (write a story). No, I’m not...............................................................

2. Is he writing a letter? (watch television)…………………………………………………..

3. Are you reading Byron’s poems? (learn them by heart)…………………………………

4. Is Dad smoking in his study? (read a newspaper)…………………………………………

5. Are they listening to the radio? (talk with a friend)………………………………………

6. Are you hurrying to work? (go home)……………………………………………………….

7. Is Joan playing the piano? (listen to a concert)……………………………………………

8. Is she washing up? (cook)……………………………………………………………………

Exercise 3 – ORAL. Answer the questions, using the words in brackets.

1. Are you busy tonight? (meet a friend). Yes, I am. ………………………………………..

2. Is Ivy busy this afternoon? (have a rest). No, she isn’t. …………………………………

3. Are you busy today? (have visitors) Yes, I am. ……………………………………………

4. Is Kate busy after lunch? (stay at home). No, she isn’t. ………………………………….

5. Are the Browns busy today? (have a holiday). No, they aren’t. …………………………

6. Is Fred busy tonight? (go to the concert). Yes, he is. …………………………………….

7. Are you busy this afternoon? (have an English class). Yes, I am. ………………………

Exercise 4. Make the following sentences – negative – interrogative -:

1. The secretary is typing a letter. ………………………………………………………….

2. The sun is shining brightly. ………………………………………………………………

3. The cat is running along the wall. ……………………………………………………..

4. My mother is cooking a meal. ………………………………………………………….

5. My father is reading a book. …………………………………………………………….

6. They are having a German lesson now. ……………………………………………….

7. She is constantly forgetting phone numbers. …………………………………………

8. The doctor is feeling her pulse. …………………………………………………………

9. She is running home. …………………………………………………………………….

10. You are walking too quickly. ……………………………………………………………

11. You are making a lot of noise. …………………………………………………………

12. The lecturer is explaining some new material now. …………………………………

13. The wind is blowing outside. ……………………………………………………………

14. The children are singing a new song. …………………………………………………

15. My brother is listening to some new record. …………………………………………

16. You are driving too slowly. …………………………………………………………….

Exercise 5 – ORAL. Ask questions to the following sentences beginning with the words in brackets.

1. They are writing a composition now. (What? Who?)………………………………….

2. He is translating an English article. (Who? What? What kind of?)………………..

3. The dog is running after a cat. (What? What after?)…………………………………

4. He is having dinner in the canteen now. (Who? Where?)……………………………

5. She is looking for her glasses. (Who? Where? What…for? Why?)…………………

6. I’m learning this poem by heart. (Who? What? How?)………………………………

7. They are building a new school in our street. (Who? What? How?)……………….

8. She is constantly nagging (изводит) her husband. (Why? When?)………………..

9. Tony is painting a new picture. (Who? What?)………………………………………..

10. You are talking too fast. (How? Why?)………………………………………………..

Exercise 6– ORAL. Ask all types of questions to the following sentences.

1. All the town is talking about this story.

2. He is working on some kind of invention.

3. You are eating too much.

4. Aunt Betty is talking to the butcher in the kitchen.

5. My parents are talking about Fred’s new car.

6. I am dreaming about summer.

7. She is always talking about her baby son.

Exercise 7 – ORAL. Change the following sentences according to the pattern.

Pattern: He usually has breakfast at seven, but today he is having breakfast at eight.

1. She usually drinks coffee in the morning, but today she (to have tea)………………

2. They usually play tennis on Sundays, but today they (to play football)…………….

3. I usually read books in the evening, but today now I (to read a newspaper)……..

4. ‘Usually you skate alone’. ‘But today I (skate) with my friends’. …………………

5. She usually washes the dishes at night, but tonight she (to read a book)………….

6. Brian usually has breakfast very early, but today (late)……………………………..

7. They usually have lunch in the canteen, but today (in the cafe)…………………….

8. She usually drinks tea with sugar, but today she (without sugar)…………………..

9. ‘Usually you type your essays’. – Yes, but today I……………………it. Something is wrong with my computer.

10. Martin usually drives to college, but today he……………………………………….

Exercise 8. Use the Present Continuous Tense instead of the infinitives in brackets. Translate them.

1. Look! It (to rain). …………………………………………………………………………

2. Why you (not to wear)…………………………………………….. your coat today? It’s so cold.

3. Excuse me, I (to look for)……………………………….. the post office. Is there one near here?

4. You (to make)…………………………………………………………….. a lot of noise.

5. They (to quarrel)………………………………………………………………….. again.

6. He is on holiday. He (not to work)……………………………………………… today.

7. You (to read)………………………………………………… any English books now?

8. They (to have)………………………………… an English lesson. The teacher (to write)…………………………………… new words on the board and (to explain)…………………………….. their meanings. The students (to sit)………………………………………………… at the tables and (to make) notes.

9. What you (to talk)……………………………………………… about?

10. Jim (to take)……………………………………… his driving test now.

11. ‘What you (to do)……………………………………….. at the moment? Can you help me with my project?’. ‘Oh, Iam busy just now. I (to fix)………………………….. my mixer. But if you can wait… . ‘Yes, I can. We (to write)………………………………………. several projects this semester. I don’t know what to do about this one.’

12. ‘What you (to play)?.......................................................... Is it something that I know?’ ‘It’s mine.’ ‘You (to play)……………………………………….. wonderfully.

13. ‘What Tom (to do)? Why he (not to practise)?.....................................’ ‘He (to have)……………………………………….. some rest.’

14. I constantly (to forget)………………………………………………. things.

15. What you (to wait for? ……………………………….Why you (to sit)…………………. here?)

16. ‘Stop making that noise!’ ‘And what you (to do)……………………………………..?’ ‘I (to try)………………………….. to get some sleep.’

Exercise 9. Translate into English, using the present continuous tense.

1. Послушайте, Фред, вас кто-то разыскивает. ……………………………………

2. Зачем ты всё это мне говоришь? …………………………………………………….

3. Эй, приятель, что ты делаешь в моей машине?..............................................

4. Почему все смеются?...........................................................................................

5. Ты становишься слишком нервным. ……………………………………………….

6. «Что с ним, доктор?» - К сожалению, должен сказать, что он употребляет наркотики.

7. Я думаю, они сейчас живут в Италии.

8. Говорят, я делаю сейчас большие успехи. Это правда.

9. Я люблю смотреть на них, когда они танцуют.

10. Люди поговаривают, что во всём виноват я сам.

11. Разве дети ещё не спят?

12. Наша солнечная система неуклонно движется по направлению к Веге.

13. Занятия в университете становятся всё интереснее и интереснее.

14. Кто это там идёт к машине?

15. Кто помогает тебе сейчас с твоим хозяйством?

Exercise 10 – ORAL. Pay attention to the use of the Present Continuous Tense in the following proverbs and sayings. Give their Russian equivalents, using ex. 11 as a key.

1. Know where one is going.

2. One’s left hand does not know what one’s right hand is doing.

3. Don’t cut the bough you are standing on.

4. He that has a long nose thinks everybody is speaking of it.

5. The tortoise wins the race while the hare is sleeping.

6. Fiddle while Rome is burning.

7. Fools will be meddling.

Exercise 11 – ORAL. Give English equivalents of the following proverbs and sayings concentrating on the use of the Present Continuous Tense. Use ex. 10 as a key.

1. Черепаха выигрывает бег, пока заяц спит.

2. Не руби сук, на котором сидишь.

3. Левая рука не знает, что делает правая.

4. Пир во время чумы.

5. Дураки любят во всё вмешиваться.

6. Знать, чего хочешь. (Быть себе на уме).

7. На воре шапка горит.