The Continuous Tenses.

to be + Participle I

Present	Past	Future
I am + playing he sne is + playing it we you are + playing they	I he was + play- she ing it we you were + play- thev ing	I shall be + playing he she will be + play-it ing we shall be + play- ing you they will be + play- ing

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Exercise 1. Complete the sentences. Use am /is /are.

1. Listen! Helen ... playing the piano.

2. They ... building a new hotel in the city centre now.

3. Look! Somebody ... swimming in the river.

4. The children ... doing their homework at the moment.

5. Don't go out now. It ... raining.

6. "Where are you, Ann?" "In the kitchen. I ... cooking a meal".

7. "... you watching TV?" - "No, I ... not."

8. "What ... the girls doing?" - "They ... playing in the garden."

9. Please don't make so much noise. My brother ... study­ing.

10. Nick is in England now. He ... learning English.

11. Can you hear those people? What ... they talking about?

12. That machine ... not working. It broke down this mor­ning.

Exercise 2. Answer the questions.

l.Are you sitting in the laboratory?

2. Are you looking at the blackboard?

3. Are you writing notes?

4. Are you thinking about your lesson?

5. What are you thinking about?

6. What are you looking at?

7. Who is sitting to the left of you?

8. Who is sitting to the right of you?

9. What are you doing now?

10, What lesson are you having now?

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Exercise 3. What's happening at the moment? Write true sentences. Example: I/wash/my hair.

- I am not washing my hair now.

1. It / snow. -

2. I / sit / on a chair. -

3. He /learn / English. -

4. My mother / listen / to the radio. -

5. the sun / shine /. -

6. I / smoke / a cigarette. -

7. We / read / a newspaper. -

8. I / wear / shoes. -

9. They / eat / apples. -

10. We / have / dinner. -

11. I / watch / TV. -

12. The telephone /ring. -

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions. Say what people were doing at the time mentioned. Example 1: What were you doing yesterday morning? (to have an English lesson). -Yesterday morning I was having an English lesson.

1. What was Fred doing at 7.30 this morning? (to get ready for the trip).

2. What were the children doing all Sunday afternoon? (to

ski).

3. What was your daughter doing at 8 last night? (to watch

TV).

4. What were your family doing the whole Saturday? (to

sunbathe on the bank of the river).

5. What were Peter and John doing in the afternoon? (to play football).

6. What was your friend doing at 2 today? (to write a let­ ter).

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7. What were you and your groupmates doing all the mor­ning? (to file the programme on the disc).

8. What was Mary doing when you. rang her up? (to have bre­akfast).

9. What were the girls doing when the teacher came in? (to discuss the latest news).

10. What was Jack doing in the library in the morning? (to get ready for the report).

Example 2: What were you doing on Sunday when it was raining? (to get ready for my lecture). - When it was raining I was getting ready for my lecture.

1. What were you doing while your children were doing the­ir homework? (to work at my report).

2. What was Henry looking through while you were talking to the chief? (to look through the prospect).

3. What were they listening to when we came in? (light mu­sic).

4. What was Jimmy reading while he was waiting for you? (a magazine),

5. What was your wife listening to while she was cooking dinner? (the concert).

6. What was your son doing on the bank while you Were • swimming? (to play tennis with Jack).

7. What were they doing when it was snowing yesterday? (to drive home).

8. Who were you waiting for while I was having a talk with the professor? (to wait for his secretary).

9. Who was discussing the plans for the coming week-end when George returned home? (his parents).

10. What was Mr. Wilson doing when 1 entered the classroom? (to answer the questions).

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Exercise 5. Are you going to do these things tomorrow?

Example: To buy a car. - 1 am not going to buy a car or I am going to buy a car.

1. To get up at 6.30. 7. To buy some books.

2. To have lunch. 8. To write a report.

3. To watch TV in the morning. 9. To phone you tonight.

4. To cook a meal. 10. To play the piano.

5. To ride a bicycle. 11. To pass an exam.

6. To visit me again. 12. To lend you money.

Exercise 6. Complete the sentences. Use to be going to +

one of these verbs: Example: My hair is dirty. I am going to wash it.

watch rain lie leave eat walk give pass study rain

1. I don't want to go home by bus. I

2. John's university course begins in October. He

engineering.

3. Take an umbrella with you. It

4. I'm hungry. I this sandwich.

5. It's Peter's birthday next week. We him a pre-

sent.

6. I feel tired. I down for an hour.

7. Carol is very busy now. She an examination.

8. The sky is overcast. It

9. There is a very interesting TV programme tonight. We ... ... it.

10. It is 8.00. Tom his house at 8.15.

Exercise 7. Complete the sentences.

1. "Can you help me for a minute?" "I'm sorry, I ... (work / am working)

2. How many languages ...? (do you speak / are you spea­king)

3. "What ... ?" "I am looking at the weather forecast". (do you do / are you doing).

4. "What time ... ?" "At seven o'clock, usually" (do you get up / are you getting up)

5. Pete ... football most weekends. (plays / is playing)

6. "What ... ?" "Chocolate" (do you eat / are you eating)

7. "Have you got a cigarette?" "Sorry, I ..." (don't smoke / am not smoking)

8. I usually ... on Saturdays. (work / am working)

9. "Is John here?" "No, he ... tennis (plays / is playing)

UNIT 9.