Present tenses

Ex.1

Dear Mr and Mrs Williams,

I ……………….. (write) to thank you for coming to our wedding last month. I hope you enjoyed yourself. Sheila and I……………….. (just/return) from our honeymoon in Kenya and……………….. (now/look forward to) starting our new life together. We ……………….. (just/move) into our new house and since our honeymoon we ……………….. (spend) all our free time decorating. The house ……………….. (actually/begin) to feel like home now and we ……………….. (gradually /settle) into a routine. We ……………….. (have) breakfast together in the morning, but then we ……………….. (not/see) each other until late in the evening when we ……………….. (get) home from work. I ……………….. (hope) both of you ……………….. (be) well since we last saw you.

Love,

David and Sheila

Ex.2

George Smith ……………. (train) for this match for months. He ……………. (practise) at least four hours a day for the last two weeks and he ……………. (say) that now he ……………. (feel) confident. However, he ……………. (face) a difficult opponent tonight. Palmer ……………. (win) several games recently and he ……………. (look) determined to win this one too. The match…………. (be) about to start so let’s watch and see what ……………. (happen).

Ex.3

Louisa usually ……………. (go) to work by tube but today she ……………. (go) there in a chauffeur driven limousine. The reason for this ……………. (be) that she ……………. (just/win) the young business person award and as part of the prize people ……………. (treat) her like royalty.

Ex.4

Mary ……………. (dye) her hair for years. She ……………. (go) to the hairdresser once a week and ……………. (try) every colour you can imagine. She ……………. (say) she ……………. (want) to match her hair with her clothes. I ……………. (ask) her for ages why she ……………. (not/keep) her natural colour but she ……………. (say) she ……………. (forget) what it is!

Ex.5

Dear John,

First of all, sorry I ……………. (not/write) for so long, but I was on holiday.

……………. (you/get) your exam result yet? I’m sure you ……………. (pass) them all since you always ……………. (study) so hard. I ……………. (wait) for mine at the moment and I ……………. (try) not to worry! Well, I ……………. (write) from my new flat. Yes, I ……………. (move) house! Now we ……………. (paint) and ……………. (clean) the place to make it look nice. When it’s finished, I’m going to have a party and because I ……………. (not/see) you for weeks I ……………. (want) you to come. Write soon and let me know if I’ll see you there.

Love,

Mary

Ex.6

Jane,

Thanks for agreeing to look after my flat while I’m away. I ……………. (clean) the flat thoroughly but as I ……………. (work) late all week, I ……………. (not/have) time to cook any food for you. My dog, Rover, ……………. (eat) a tin of dog food every night and the plants ……………. (need) watering once a week. Tonight I ……………. (stay) at the Hutton Hotel so you can contact me there if you need me.

Donna

Ex.7

1. He (to solve) the cross-word puzzle for half an hour and he (to say) he (to be) about to finish it as he (to think) over the last word. 2. The actors (to rehearse) since early morn- mg; now they (to go over) the first scene as they (not to be) satisfied with their acting. 3. Here you (to be) at last! I (to wait) for you for twenty minutes. You (not to be) ashamed? 4. She (to speak) over the telephone long enough, it (to be) time for her to stop talking. 5. Since you (to keep) late hours this week you (to look) tired and worn out. 6. It (to snow) steadily the whole week and it still (to snow). If it (to go) on like this nobody will be able to reach the camp. 7. At last you (to open) the door! I (to ring) for an hour at least; it (to seem) to me. 8. My watch (to keep) good time ever since the first repair. 9. They (to discuss) this questions ever since I (to be) here and they (not to come) to any definite conclu­sion yet. 10. The typist (to miss) several words as she (to talk) all the time. 11. The lecturer (to mention) this name several times but I cannot remember it. I (to write) it down as soon as he (to mention) it again. 12. He (to work) at the language all the time and (to make) great progress. His pho­netics (to be) perfect, only a slight accent (to remain).

Ex.8

1. This man (to be) a writer. He (to write) books. He (to write) books since he was a young man. He already (to write) eight books. 2. What you (to do) here since morning? 3. Lena is a very good girl. She always (to help) her mother about the house. Today she (to help) her mother since morning. They already (to wash) the floor and (to dust) the furniture. Now they (to cook) dinner together. 4. He (to run) now. He (to run) for ten minutes without any rest. 5. What they (to do) now? — They (to work) in the reading room. They (to work) there for three hours already. 6. Where he (to be) now? — He (to be) in the garden. He (to play) volleyball with his friends. They (to play) since breakfast time. 7. I (to live) in St. Petersburg. I (to live) in St. Petersburg since 1990. 8. This is the factory where my father (to work). He (to work) here for fifteen years. 9. You (to find) your notebook? — No! I still (to look) for it. I already (to look) for it for two hours, but (not yet to find) it. 10. You (to play) with a ball for three hours already. Go home and do your homework. Wake up! You (to sleep) for ten hours already. I (to wait) for a letter from my cousin for a month already, but (not yet to receive) it. 13. She already (to do) her homework for two hours; but she (not yet to do) half of it. 14. I (to wait) for you since two o'clock. 15. What you (to do)? — I (to read). I (to read) for two hours already. I already (to read) sixty pages. 16. It is difficult for me to speak about this opera as I (not to hear) it. 17. I just (to receive) a letter from my granny, but I (not yet to receive) any letters from my parents. 18. The weather (to be) fine today. The sun (to shine) ever since we got up. 19. Every day I (to wind) up my watch at 10 o'clock in the evening. 20. Come along, Henry, what you (to do) now? I (to wait) for you a long time. 21. Where your gloves (to be)? — I (to put) them into my pock­et. 22. I (to stay) with some American friends in Chicago. I (to stay) with them for two weeks now. I (to have) a great time here. I (to take) the opportu­nity to improve my English. I already (to see) the towering skyscrapers of Chicago which are reflect­ed in the rippling water of Lake Michigan. I just (to take) a picture of Chicago's Sears Tower which (to rise) 1,707 feet and (to provide) a panoramic view from the skydeck. 23. 1 (to go) to give that cat some food. I (to be) sure it (to starve). — But Jane already (to feed) the cat. You needn't do it.