Настоящее неопределенное время и настоящее продолженное время present simple vs present progressive

1. Present Progressive употребляется, когда в предложении есть противопоставление обычному действию, выраженному временем Present Simple: He usually walks to his work but today he is going by bus.

2. Present Progressive употребляется для выражения будущих действий, запланированных говорящим, а Present Simple – для выражения будущих действий согласно общепринятому расписанию: I am leaving for Moscow tomorrow. – The train for Moscow leaves at 10 o’clock tomorrow.

3. Present Simple употребляется для выражения последовательных действий, а Present Progressive – для описания действий, совершаемых разными лицами одновременно: It’s 9 o’clock. The boss starts his work. He reads the mail, meets clients and makes plans. – It’s 9 o’clock. Everybody is in class now. Mary is writing the new words on the blackboard, Sam is reading the text, we are listening to him.

4. Present Progressive употребляется c некоторыми глаголами чувственного и умственного восприятия, при этом их основные значения изменяются.

Present Simple (verbs of state)	Present Progressive (verbs of action)
I think he is clever.	I am thinking about your idea.
The milk tastes awful.	He is tasting the soup, it might need salt.
The silk shirt feels soft.	She is feeling the cat’s fur. (=she is touching)
I see you are in trouble.	I am seeing Paul tonight. (=I’m meeting)
Your perfume smells of flowers.	Why are you smelling the food?
We enjoy holidays.	I’m enjoying this holiday. (specifically)
Your hair looks great.	He is looking at the photos.
The baby weighs 5 kilos.	He is weighing potatoes on the scales.

Grammar Practice

Ex.1. Use the correct tense form.

1. Dick usually (play) hockey but today he (play) volleyball. 2. The professor (speak) four foreign languages. Right now he (speak) Polish. 3. I often (drive) to my work. Be careful! You (drive) too fast! 4. As a rule, he (have) dinner at home but today he (dine) out. 5. We (do) a lot of work every day. Don’t worry! We (know) what we (do). 6. Every summer the scientists (watch) wild animals in Africa. Be quiet! The scientist (watch) the tiger. He (want) to take a picture. 7. You (eat) vegetables daily? What’s the name of the vegetable you (eat) with such pleasure? 8. Anybody remember where he (work)? 9. He (not, realize) what I (explain). 10. I (not, recognize) the women who (discuss) the project. 11. Kate (say) now she (hate) Hollywood films. 12. You usually (not, drink) tea at this time. What is that you (drink) now? 13. It (seem) to me that Jack (want) to know what you (do) now. 14. Alice (not, take) a bus to the University every day. She usually (walk) instead. You (take) a bus to get to the University every day or you (walk)? 15. Right now I (look) at the map. I (see) different countries there. 16. Right now the young people (be) on the beach. They (have) a good time there. They (like) to play volleyball there. 17. Sam (spend) next spring in South America. 18. You (recognize) that man? – I (think) I have seen him before but I (not, remember) his name. 19. Stop! You (not, see) the notice? – I (see) it but I can’t read it because I (not, wear) my glasses. 20. Why you (put) on your coat? – I (go) for a walk. You (come) with me? – Yes, I’d love to. You (mind) if I bring my dog? 21. You (believe) Pat’s words? – No, she always (lie). 22. Why you (walk) so fast today? You usually (walk) slowly. – I (hurry) because I (meet) my mother at 4 o’clock. She (not, like) to be kept waiting. 23.This soup (taste) good. 24. Jane (be) in Paris now. She (learn) French. 25. Ann (play) the piano better than Susan. And who (play) now?

Ex.2. Choose the correct tense-form.

1. They usually sit / are sitting for hours without saying a word. 2. She is keeping / keeps her room tidy as a rule. 3. Don’t ask me what a mango is tasting / tastes. I’ve never tried it. 4. Ted is applying / applies this medicine every other day. 5. We are seeing / see each other only occasionally. 6. Next week they are signing / sign the contract. 7. Could you turn off the television? Nobody watches / is watching it. 8. How do you get / are you getting to your work? 9. The water in this lake seldom freezes / is freezing in winter. 10. Water doesn’t exist / isn’t existing on the Moon.

Ex.3. Read the answers and then complete the questions.

1. Where … ? – Ted? He lives at the end of Axwell Road. 2. Do … ? – No, I don’t know him. 3. What … ? – At the moment? I’m doing my homework. 4. Are …? – Here? No, they’re sitting over there. 5. Do … ? – Here? We change trains at the next station. 6. Why … ? – I’m wearing two pullovers because I feel cold. 7. Is … ? – Sam? No, he’s not staying with Tom. 8. When … ? – Kate? She comes home at 6.30. 9. Who … ? – Jane does. She always cooks breakfast for us. 10. Who … ? – Frank and Carol are. They are watching television now.

Ex.4. Fill in the blanks with proper tense forms.

1. It’s 8.30 in the morning. George …, … his bed, to get up, to

… a bath and … to the kitchen to have breakfast. make, to take,

to go

2. It’s 8.30 in the morning. Sam …, his father … to get up, to

and …, his mother … breakfast in the kitchen, his wash, to shave,

younger brother still … . to cook, to

sleep

3. It’s late evening. I … my dog in the park. to walk,

I … my dog late in the evening. to walk

Ex.5. Choose the appropriate adverbial of time.

1. Harry always stays at the office since / till 7 o’clock. 2. She makes strawberry jam every year / recently. 3. It is freezing hard for a long time / now. 4. People continually / traditionally prepare colored eggs at Easter. 5. They are having some financial problems lately / at present. 6. I’m feeling rather run down recently / now, doctor. 7. The company is looking for people with experience lately / nowadays. 8. I don’t go swimming very much as a rule / now and again.

Ex.6. Choose the correct variant.

1. I see / am seeing that the situation is out of control. 2. The cake is tasting / tastes delicious. 3. Do you enjoy / Are you enjoying the party? 4. You haven’t taken part in the discussion. What are you thinking / do you think about? What are you thinking / do you think of the project? 5. She has / is having a dog. 6. We don’t know / are not knowing where the car is. 7. Why do you smell / are you smelling the milk? Has it gone off? 8. Anna is Italian. She is coming / comes from Italy. 9. At what time is Dick coming back / does Dick come back tonight? 10. I am seeing / see my lawyer today. 11. Do you need / Are you needing another blanket or do you feel / are you feeling warm enough? 12. How does Ted get on / is Ted getting on at university? – Very well. He seems / is seeming to like the studies.

Ex.7. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense.

1. What Bob (do)? – He (translate) an article from Russian into English. – He (know) English well? – Yes, he (do). 2. Where (be) Peter? – He (have) his History class now. – He always (have) it at this time? – Once a week. 3. Where you (go)? – To the library. – How often you (attend) the library? – On Tuesdays and Fridays. 4. What language they (speak) in Spain? – What language he (speak) now? 5. I (feel) Tom (want) to know where you (live) now. 6. She (understand, not) what the teacher (explain). 7. You (remember) where he (work)? 8. Where (be) Mary? – She (be) in the kitchen. – What she (do) there? – She (cook) dinner. – She always (prepare) it for the family? – As a rule, she (do). 9. He usually (walk) to the office? – No, he (do, not), he (take) a bus as usual. 10. Don’t (go) into the room! The students (write) a test. 11. Fred usually (stay) at the hotel but this time he (stay) at his relatives’. 12. My friend always (tell) me the truth but I (see) that she (tell) a lie now. 13. Jane (say) that now she (love) Adam very much. 14. What you (do) here, Ann? – I (look up) some figures for my report. 15. What time we (arrive) in Berlin? – It (seem) to me that our plane (arrive) at 9 a.m. 16. You (do) anything special tonight? – Oh, yes. I (have) a party with my group mates tonight. 17. What you (think) of Moscow? – I (think) it’s a wonderful place. – And how you (like) the weather? – Well, it (be) rather windy, (be, not) it? 18. First you (take) the documents and (sort) them into categories. Then you (file) them according to the subject. 19. What you (drink)? It (look) awful. – Don’t (bother). I (die) of thirst. 20. As a rule, she (wear) smart hats, but today she (wear) a funny-looking one.

Ex.8. Fill in with Present Simple or Present Progressive.

Kate: Hi, Mum! This Kate (speak).

Mum: Hello, Kate! Where you (call) from?

Kate: I (be) at work at the moment. My boss (have) lunch with his partner now. He often (take) his guests to lunch on Wednesdays.

Mum: Well, why you (phone)? Is there anything wrong?

Kate: No, I just (want) you to know that I (come) home next Saturday.

Mum: What time your bus (arrive) in Smolensk?

Kate: It (leave) Moscow at 11 in the night and (arrive) in Smolensk at 7 in the morning.

Mum: All right, (see) you on Saturday then.

Ex.9. Put the words in the brackets into the Present Simple or Present Progressive tense.

1. The telephone (to ring). Someone (to want) to talk to you. 2. Jane (to like) reading. She often (to borrow) books from the library. 3. The postman (to walk) up the path. He (to come) twice a day. 4. John (to have) a lot of things to do. He (to read) papers, (to write) business letters and (to receive) visitors. 5. What (to be) this dreadful smell? – Something (to burn) in the kitchen. 6. He always (to get) good marks in his examinations. 7. What Nick (to do) now? – He (to do) his homework. It usually (to take) him an hour and a half to do his work. 8. When Peter (to read) a book in English, he always (to keep) a dictionary near him. When he (not to know) the meaning of a word, he (to open) the dictionary and (to look up) the word. 9. Come in and join me. I (to have) a cup of coffee. I usually (to have) one at this time. 10. Look, the guests (to put) their hats and coats on! – Because they (to leave). – Why they (to leave) so early? – Early?! It’s midnight! 11. You (to drink) coffee every day? What’s the brand of coffee you (to drink) now with such pleasure? 12. You sometimes (to go) abroad? – I (to travel) inside the country, as a rule. 13. Mike (to walk) to his college? – I (not to know). I (to think) generally he (to walk) but today he (to go) on his motorbike. 14. What Tom (think) of the project? – He (think) it (not, be) quite appropriate. 15. You (see) the car keys anywhere? I (look) for them but I (not, see) them. 16. Mary usually (learn) languages very quickly but she (not, seem) able to learn modern Greek. 17. The plane you (look) at now just (take) off for London. 18. What you (wait) here? – I (wait) for the shop to open. – But it (not, open) till 9 o’clock. 19. Why (be) Mrs Black so angry? – Her husband (smoke) in the room.

Ex.10. Complete the following dialogues by using the words in parentheses.

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 (think, not) so.

3. A: (You, like) sour oranges?

B: No, … . I (like) sweet ones.

4. A: (Your friends, write) many 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: (Jean, study) at the library this evening?

B: No, … . She (be) at the gym. She (play) basketball.

A: (Jean, play) basketball every night?

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

A: (She, be) a good player?

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

A: (You, know) how to play basketball?

B: Yes, … . But I (be, not) very good at it.

A: Let’s play sometime.

B: Okay. That (sound) like fun.

Ex.11. Choose the correct variant.

1. Listen! Somebody (play) the piano.

A. plays B. is playing C. are playing

2. How you (like) our weather?

A. you like B. are you liking C. do you like

3. Linda (work) at the library tonight?

A. Is Linda working B. Does Linda work C. Linda works

4. The situation (grow) better today.

A. is growing B. grows C. grow

5. What you (do) this afternoon?

A. do you do B. you are doing C. are you doing

6. Victor often (go) to the movies?

A. Is Victor going B. Goes Victor C. Does Victor go

7. It (snow) still heavily.

A. snows B. is snowing C. snow

8. The train for Bristol (leave) at 7 tomorrow.

A. is leaving B. leaves C. leave

9. Who (know) History well?

A. knows B. know C. does know

10. They (want) to go to the seaside.

A. want; So am I. B. want; So do I. C. want; Neither do I.

11. Keep quiet! The students (write) a test.

A. write B. is writing C. are writing

12. I hope you (not, pay) much attention to the gossip.

A. aren’t paying B. am not paying C. don’t pay

13. John is a wonderful child. He never (cry).

A. is crying B. cries C. doesn’t cry

14. They (study) Philosophy this term.

A. are studying B. study C. studies

15. Listen! She (refer) to the latest articles.

A. refers B. am referring C. is referring

16. Mary (listen) to a new record in her room at the moment.

A. listens B. is listening C. listen

17. What you (think) about? You haven’t said a word all morning.

A. do you think B. you think C. are you thinking

18. We (not, read) detectives.

A. don’t read; Neither does she B. don’t read; So does she

C. don’t read; Neither is she

19. He (not, know) the student who (report) now.

A. doesn’t know; reports B. don’t know; is reporting

C. doesn’t know; is reporting

20. Jack (fly) to France tonight.

A. flies B. is flying C. fly

21. When I (drive) myself I (not, leave) the car anywhere.

A. drive; am not leaving B. am driving; am not leaving

C. am driving; don’t leave

Ex.12. Supply Present Simple or Present Progressive.

Dear Aunt Rose,

I just (write) to tell you how much I (appreciate) the money you sent me, and to tell you how I (get) on in my first year at college. I (study) very hard but at the moment I (spend) a lot of time just making friends. I still (stay) with my friend Jane and I (look) for somewhere of my own to live. Only a few of the first-year students (live) in college here and I (seem) to be spending much time travelling backwards and forwards. I (go) to lectures every morning and most afternoons I (study) in the library. In fact I (write) this letter instead of an essay on “Hamlet”. I (think) I’ll buy some new clothes with the money you sent. Everything (cost) a lot here and I (save) to buy a winter coat. It (get) really cold here in the evenings. I (know) lots of other students and generally speaking we (have) quite a good time socially! I also (learn) to drive.

See you shortly.

Love,

Sue.

Ex.13. Translate from Russian into English.

1. Джек никогда не работает в саду, он всегда занят со своей машиной. – Что он делает сейчас с машиной? – Думаю, он моет ее. 2. Ты слышишь музыку? – Конечно. Это Ольга играет на скрипке. Она очень хорошо играет на скрипке. 3. Моя сестра никогда не ездит на автобусе в университет, но сегодня она едет в автобусе, потому что не хочет опоздать на лекцию. 4. Сначала Вы доставляете почту, сортируете ее, а потом раскладываете по разным папкам. 5. Друзья Марка хорошо проводят время на вечеринке. Сэм и Бетти поют, Дик кушает торт, а остальные танцуют. 6. Куда ты идешь? – В библиотеку. – Как часто ты работаешь там? – Два – три раза в неделю. Идешь со мной? – Нет, я тороплюсь в спортзал сейчас. Университетские команды по баскетболу играют сегодня вечером. 7. Профессор Смит едет в Вашингтон через неделю. – Он читает лекции по экономике там? 8. Самолет, на который ты смотришь сейчас, отправляется в Лондон. Следующий самолет вылетает в полночь. 9. Что ты думаешь об этом фильме? – Он довольно скучный. – Тебе он не понравился, не так ли? – Да, верно. 10. Над чем вы смеетесь? – Дети рассказывают нам смешные истории. Не хочешь послушать? 11. Не бери эту книгу! Мой брат ее читает сейчас. – Ему нравятся исторические романы? – Да, и мне тоже. 12. Я учусь водить машину. В следующем месяце я сдаю экзамен по вождению. 13. Сейчас 10 часов утра. Джек пьет чай и смотрит программу новостей по телевизору. 14. Лора хорошо информирована о последних событиях за рубежом. Она много читает. 15. Говорят, если увидишь черного кота, не повезет. 16. Что ты делаешь сегодня вечером? Пойдем в кино с нами? – Я бы с удовольствием, но я сейчас много работаю. Я пишу курсовую работу.