Present simple versus present progressive

1. Choose between the Present Simple and Present Progressive.

1. Is your brother a student now? Yes, he studies at university.

2. What do you do? I’m a teacher.

3. Dave always stays at the office till six.

4. Ann plays the piano better than Susan. And who is playing now? – I think it is Susan.

5. He wastes his time looking for a job there, they are not taking any staff on now.

2. Choose the appropriate adverbial of time.

1. We see each other only occasionally.

2. More and more young people prefer careers to early marriage nowadays.

3. They are having some financial difficulties now.

4. What do you do in the evening?

5. It’s raining hard now.

3. Open the brackets using the Present Simple or the Present Progressive.

1. My brother does not care very much what he (look) like.

2. The film is very confusing. Do you understand what is going on?

3. Where you come from? – I (come) from Belarus.

4. He usually wears jeans and T-shirts.

5. She is always losing her temper!

6. Do you hear this noise downstairs? What can it be?

7. Which of these cars do you like best?

8. Every time cigarettes (go) up in price, many people (try) to give up smoking.

9. The man who (live) opposite us sometimes (come) over for a cup of coffee.

10. You look great after your holiday! – Yes, I (feel) well.

Present perfect versus past simple

1. Choose between the Present Perfect and Past Simple.

1. Ann has bought a new car. – Really? Where did she get the money?

2. Why do you look so upset? Did anything happen?

3. Things were difficult since Sharon has lost her job.

4. This is the only place he has been to.

5. He has never travelled abroad.

2. Choose the appropriate adverbial of time.

1. She left an hour ago.

2. Have you spoken to the manager already?

3. We’ve known each other for many years.

4. Lately Nick received a parcel from home.

5. Ruth bought a laptop last year.

6. The guests have already come.

3. Open the brackets using the Past Simple or the Present Perfect.

1. Joanna (not/change); she is the same as ever.

2. When they (get) married? – Last year. So they (be) married for about a year.

3. The employment office (call) me twice since I (move) to Los Angeles.

4. People (use) to come at the weekends, but during the week I (be) alone in that huge house.

5. He (give up) smoking yet? When he (do) it?

6. Although I (study) French for years I have difficulties in speaking the language.

7. How many times you (be) in love? When you (fall) in love first?

8. We (see) him at the summer course in London.

9. You ever (be) to the United States? – Yes, I (be) in California two years ago.

10. I (buy) everything I needed and (go) straight home.

Reading comprehension

1. Read the text carefully.

Margaret is a cleaner and she works night hours. She gets home about 6.30, gets the children ready for school, and then starts on her own housework. Some days she goes to bed for two or three hours, others she doesn’t go to bed at all. She then goes two or three days without any sleep. At first she found it hard, but that was because she had never done any cleaning before. She soon got used to it. She also got used to the reaction of other people when she told them what she did for the living. “They think just because you are a cleaner you don’t know how to read or write”, says Margaret. “But it’s about the only job I can do at the moment that suits me, what with the children and everything. I don’t dislike my work, but I can’t say I’m mad about it. If they opened a factory round here and the hours and pay were the same as I’m getting now, then I’d rather take a job there. I’ll give myself another year or eighteen months at the cleaning. The children will be much older then. Though what I’ll do I’m not sure.”

The fact that she is working all night doesn’t worry Margaret at all. Unlike some buildings where there is very little lighting at night – and where a cleaner who had an accident could easily not be found for hours because no one else is working on her floor – the building where she works is fully lit all night, and the women work in groups of three. “I’m doing the job because I have to. But since I’ve got to be here night after night I try to enjoy myself. We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags”.