Времена английского глагола в сравнении = English Tenses Compared. Пособие

Compare:

I think it’s a great idea. (= think as opinion, i.e. a state)

He’s thinking of emigrating. (= think as mental process, i.e. an activity)

I expect you’d like something to eat. (= expect meaning suppose) She’s expecting a baby. (= She’s pregnant.)

Jane has a car. (= possession)

The Browns are having dinner at the moment. (= an activity) The kitchen smells of burnt meat. (= has the smell: a state)

Why are you smelling your food? (= trying the smell of: an activity) I see you’re in trouble. (= I understand)

I’m seeing my lawyer tonight. (= I’m visiting) He comes from Spain. (= he was born in)

He is coming from Spain. (= he’s travelling from) Your hair looks great. (= it appears)

She’s looking at some old photographs. (=she’s examining) The baby weighs five kilos. (= it is)

I’m weighing myself on my new scales. (=I’m finding out my weight)

The baby’s hair feels like silk. (= has the texture of) She’s feeling the baby’s forehead. (= is touching)

Some of the stative verbs can be used in the continuous form when they show that a process is taking place gradually or that a situation is temporary or unusual.

I love holidays. (= in general)

I’m loving this holiday. (= I’m enjoying; specific) Ann is very tall.

Ann is being very kind to me these days. (= she’s behaving)

Note: We can use verbs that describe the way we feel physically in a simple or continuous form with no change of meaning.

I feel sick OR: I am feeling sick.

My feet ache OR: My feet are aching.

My leg hurts OR: My leg’s hurting.

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Comment on the uses of the Present Simple and the Present Continuous.

1. Nurses look after patients in hospitals. 2. Why don’t you give up smoking ? 3. I’m weighing myself. I weigh 65 kilos. 4. This coat belongs to you. 5. She drives to London once a week. 6. Can he manage? – I hope so. 7. It rains a lot in Britain in March and April. 8. I wear old clothes at home. 9. The car stops outside the National Bank. Three men get out and the driver stays in the car. The three men walk into the bank and take out their guns. 10. The World Cup begins tomorrow. 11. I often forget things. 12. The earth goes round the sun. 13. Does Brazil export cocoa? 14. We sit here every evening. I sometimes read a book. 15. He laughs a lot. 16. Ellis throws the ball in to Snow, but he loses it. 17. 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. 18. If I see Ann I’ll ask her. 19. When it stops raining we’ll go out. 20. What does the notice say? – It says, ‘No parking.’ 21. It smells like a hospital in here. 22. Does he seem unfriendly? 23. I have a car, but I don’t use it very often. 24. Do you think they’ll come? 25. I’m thinking about my holiday. 26. He is selfish. 27. He is being selfish. 28. This cloth feels like velvet. 29. She is feeling her way in the dark.

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Present Continuous (I’m doing) or Present Simple (I do)?

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PRACTICE

1. Identify the tenses in bold, then match them with the correct description.

1.More and more people move / are moving to the countryside these days.

2.Sheila works / is working as a costume designer for the local theatre company.

3.Computec holds / is holding a five-day seminar on computers for all its employees next week.

4.Lauren doesn’t / isn’t leaving her house before 9 o’clock in the morning.

5.No wonder the phone bills are so high! You always talk / are always talking on the phone!

6.I don’t teach / am not teaching in the evenings at present.

7.Do amphibians live / Are amphibians living both on land and in water?

8.I never go / am never going to that restaurant again! The food was horrible!

9.They prefer / are preferring to go on holiday in spring when the resorts are less crowded.

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10.She stays / is staying with a friend in London at present.

11.Water doesn’t exist / isn’t existing on the Moon.

B.

1.John is / is being usually rude, but today he is / is being polite to his colleagues.

2.Ann is / is being usually patient, but today she is / is being impatient.

3.Sam is / is being rude to his mother now, but he is / is being normally pleasant to her.

4.John is / is being a kind man, but at the moment he is / is being selfish.

5.Julie is / is being silly at the moment, although I know she is / is being very sensible.

C.

1.I see / am seeing that the situation is out of control.

2.The sausages are tasting / taste delicious.

3.Do you enjoy / Are you enjoying this party?

4.You haven’t said a word all morning. What are you thinking / do you think about?

5.He has / is having a Siamese cat.

6.These flowers are smelling / smell nice.

7.I don’t know / am not knowing where she keeps the keys.

8.Why are you feeling / do you feel your pockets? Have you lost anything?

9.Why do you smell / are you smelling the milk? Do you think it has gone off?

10.Anna is Italian. She is coming / comes from Italy.

11.That dress looks / is looking nice on you.

12.Paul listens / is listening to a new record in his room.

13.If you don’t look / aren’t looking at that comic book, I’d like to see it. 14.Mary is / is being very naughty these days.

15.A: Mr Dobson has / is having a telephone message from his wife.

B: Can it wait? He has / is having a business meeting and I don’t want to disturb him.

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3.Complete the following dialogues by using the words in brackets. Also give short answers to the questions as necessary. Use the Present Simple or the Present Continuous.

1.A: (Mary, have) a bicycle?

B:Yes,... . She (have) a ten-speed bike.

2.A: (it / rain) right now?

B:No, ... . At least, I (not / think) so.

3.A: (you / like) sour oranges? В: No, ... . I (like) sweet ones.

4.A: (your friends / write) a lot of letters?

B:Yes, ... . I (get) lots of letters all the time.

5.A: (the students / take) a test in class right now?

B:No, ... . They (do) an exercise.

6.A: (you / know) Tom Adams?

B:No, ... . I’ve never met him.

7.A: (your desk / have) any drawers? В: Yes, ... . It has six drawers.

8.A: (Jean / study) at the library this evening?

B:No, ... . She (be) at the student union. She (play) pool with her friend.

A:(Jean / play) pool every evening?

B:No, ... . She usually (study) at the library.

A:(she / be) a good player?

B:Yes, ... . She (play) pool three or four times a week.

A:(you / know) how to play pool?

B:Yes, ... . But I (not / be) very good.

A:Let’s play sometime.

B:Okay. That sounds like fun.

4.Complete the sentences by using the words in brackets. Use the Present Simple or the Present Continuous. Some of the sentences are negative. Some of the sentences are questions. Supply the short answer to a question if necessary.

1.A: Shhh. I (hear) a noise. (you / hear) it too? B: Yes, ... . I wonder what it is.

2.A: Ron, (be) this your hat?

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В: No, ... . It (not / belong) to me. Maybe it (belong) to Kevin. Why (you / not / ask) him?

A:Okay.

3.A: Johnny, (you / listen) to me?

B:Of course I ..., Mom. You (want) me to take out the garbage. Right?

A:Right! And right now!

4.A: (you / see) that man over there?

B:Which man? The man in the brown jacket?

A:No, I (talk) about the man who (wear) the blue shirt.

B:Oh, that man.

A:(you / know) him?

B:No, I (not / think) so.

A:I (not / know) him either.

5.A: Shhh.

B:Why? (the baby / sleep)?

A:Uh-huh. She (take) her afternoon nap.

B:Okay, I’ll talk softly. I (not / want) to wake her up.

6.A: A penny for your thoughts. (О чем вы задумались?) В: Huh?

A:What (you / think) about right now?

B:I (think) about English grammar. I (not / think) about anything

else now.

A:I (not / believe) you!

B:But it’s true.

5.Complete the sentences. Use the Present Simple or the Present Continuous.

1. Alice (not / take) the bus to school every day. She usually (walk) instead. (you / take) the bus to get to school every day, or (you / walk)? 2. It (not / rain) right now. The sun (shine). (it / rain) a lot here? 3. Right now I (look) at the board. I (see) some words on the blackboard. 4. I (need) to call my parents today and tell them about my new apartment. They can’t call me because they (not / know) my new telephone number. 5. Right now the children (be) at the beach. They (have) a good time. They (have) a beach ball and they (play) with it. They (like) to play catch. Their parents (sunbathe). They (try) to get a tan. They (listen) to some music on a

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transistor radio. They also (hear) the sound of sea gulls and the sound of the waves. 6. Right now I (think) about sea gulls and waves. I (think) that sea gulls are beautiful birds. 7. Sam is at the library. He (sit) at a table. He (write) a composition. He (use) a dictionary to look up the spelling of some words. The dictionary (not / belong) to him. It (belong) to his roommate. Sam (look) up words in the dictionary because he (want) to make sure that he doesn’t have any misspelled words in his paper.

11. This morning it (rain). I can see Janet from my window. She (stand) at the corner of 5th and Pine. She (hold) her umbrella over her head. She (wait) for the bus. 12. Right now I (look) at Janet. She (look) angry. I wonder what’s the matter. She (have) a frown on her face. She (certainly

/not / have) any fun right now. 13. I can’t afford that thing. It (cost) too much. 14. I (not / own) an umbrella. I (wear) a waterproof hat on rainy days. 15. Why (you / walk) so fast today? You (walk / usually) quite slowly. — I (hurry) because I (meet) my mother at 4 o’clock and she (not / like) to be kept waiting. 16. The plane that you (look) at now (just

/take) off for Paris. 17. Tom (never / do) any work in the garden; he (always / work) on his car. — What (he / do) in his car now? — I (think) he (polish) it. 18. That film (come) to the local cinema next week. (you / want) to see it? 19. How (Peter / get) on at school? — Very well. He (seem) to like the life. 20. This is our itinerary. We (leave) home on the 8th, (arrive)

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in Paris on the 9th, (spend) the day in Paris, and (set) out that night for Venice. — That (sound) most interesting. You must tell me all about it when you (get) back. 21. This story is about a boy who (make) friends with a snake which he (find) in his garden. Then he (go) away but he (not / forget) the snake and some years later he (return) and (look) for it. He (find) the snake who (recognize) its old friend and (coil) round him affectionally. But, unfortunately, the snake is by now a full-grown boaconstrictor and its embrace (kill) the poor boy. — (the snake / feel) sorry about this? — I (not / know). The story (end) here. 22. How (you / end) a letter that (begin), ‘Dear Sir’? — I (always / put), ‘Yours truly’, but Tom (prefer) ‘Yours faithfully’. 23. What (the word ‘catastrophe’ / mean)? — It (mean) ‘disaster’. 24. What (you / wait) for? — I (wait) for the shop to open. — But it (not / open) till 9.00. — I (know) but I (want) to be early as their sale (start) today. 25. Who (own) this umbrella? — I (not / know). Everybody (use) it but nobody (know) who (own) it. 26. (you / mind) if I (ask) you a question? — That (depend) on the question. — It (concern) your brother. — I (refuse) to answer any questions about my brother. 27. The last train (leave) the station at 11.30. 28. (you / enjoy) yourself or would you like to leave now? — I (enjoy) myself very much. I (want) to stay to the end. 29. How (you / get) to work as a rule? — I usually (go) by bus but tomorrow I (go) in Tom’s car. 30. Why (you / put) on your coat? — I (go) for a walk. (you / come) with me? — Yes, I’d love to come. (you / mind) if I bring my dog? 31. (you / belong) to your local library? — Yes, I do. — (you / read) a lot? — Yes, quite a lot. — How often (you / change) your books? — I (change) one every day. 32. (you / like) this necklace? I (give) it to my daughter for her birthday tomorrow. 33. These workmen are never satisfied; they (always / complain). 34. (you / write) to him tonight? — Yes, I (always / write) to him on his birthday. (you / want) to send any message? 35. Tom and Mr Pitt (have) a long conversation. I (wonder) what they (talk) about. 36. (you / believe) all that the newspapers say? — No, I (not / believe) any of it. — Then why (you / read) newspapers? 37. This car (make) a very strange noise. (you / think) it is all right? — Oh, that noise (not / matter). It always (make) a noise like that. 38. The children are very quiet. Go and see what they (do). — They (cut) up some $5 notes. 39. What (you / wait) for? — I (wait) for my change; the boy (just / get) it. 40. I can’t hear what you (say); the traffic (make) too much noise. 41. She (always / lose) her

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glasses and (ask) me to look for them. 42. Someone (knock) at the door. Shall I answer it? — I (come) in a minute. I (just / wash) my hands. 43. (you / do) anything this evening? — No, I’m not. — Well, I (go) to the cinema. Would you like to come with me? 44. We (have) breakfast at 8.00 tomorrow as Tom (catch) an early train. 45. They (dig) an enormous hole just outside my gate. — What (they / do) that for? — I don’t know. Perhaps they (look) for oil. 46. What (make) that terrible noise? — It’s the pneumatic drill. They (repair) the road. 47. 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).

48. Ann sees Tom putting on his coat and says: Where (you / go), Tom?

50.What (happen) in your class? (the teacher / give) lectures every day? — No. He (give) one lecture a week, and on the other days he (show) films or (discuss) books with us.

51.Why (that man / stand) in the middle of the road? — He (try) to get across. He (wait) for a gap in the traffic. — Why (he / not / use) the subway? – Lots of people (not / bother) to use the subway. They (prefer) to risk their lives crossing here.

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