Part III Present Simple and Present Continuous

Exercise 3.1

Choose the correct form of the verb.

1. My brother doesn’t watch / isn’t watching television very often.

2. He speaks / is speaking three languages.

3. Can you hear those people? What do they speak / are they speaking about?

4. I go / am going to my friend’s house.

5. He usually enjoys / is enjoying all trips, but he doesn’t enjoy / isn’t enjoying this one very much.

6. How does Nick get on / is Nick getting on at school?

7. Who sings / is singing? – It’s my neighbour. He always sings / is singing in the bathroom.

8. Stop disturbing me! Can’t you see I work / am working?

9. I’m sorry it’s so noisy, but we move / are moving the furniture.

10. I send / am sending E-mails to my friend in Africa every week.

11. I read / am reading a good book about the history of Britain.

12. We read / are reading a lot of French books every year.

13. We are at a party. We have / are having a great time!

14. How often do you read / are you reading newspapers?

15. Look! Someone sits / is sitting in your place.

Exercise 3.2

Look at the pictures and answer the questions about what the people do and what they’re doing now.

1 2 3 4

Does he teach? Is he teaching? What is he doing? Is he driving? Does he drive? What does he do?

Is he cooking? Does he cook? What is he doing? Does he study? Is he studying? What does he do?

Exercise 3.3

Put the verbs in the Present Simple or the Present Continuous form.

1. Listen! Somebody (cry). is crying

2. Sandra (not like) black tea. She (prefer) green tea.

3. What time your husband (leave) work in the evening?

4. How much it (cost) to phone the USA?

5. What Meryl (do)? – She’s an artist.

6. Why is Meryl under the table? What she (do)?

7. What time the banks (close) here?

8. I (like) to listen to music. It (help) me to relax after a busy day.

9. Why you (run)? – I (hurry) to university.

10. Jerry is a famous actor. He (act) in comedies mostly.

11. Excuse me, do you know who (act) Hamlet today?

12. Steve (play) for Manchester United. This week he (play) in Barcelona.

Exercise 3.4

Put the verbs in the correct form. Pay special attention to State verbs.

1. You (want) to go our tonight? Do you want

2. I’m afraid nobody (believe) you.

3. This dress (not fit) you. You (not look) very beautiful in it.

4. The house (be) in very good condition. It (not need) repairing.

5. You (see) my bag anywhere? – Just a moment, I (look) for it.

6. She (be) still ill, but she (get) better.

7. Why are you so sad? – I (think) about my parents. They (live) far away and we (not see) each other very often.

8. What your dad (think) of camping? – He (think) it’s great.

9. I (hear) some noise downstairs. What is it? – The neighbours (redecorate) their flat.

10. I’m sorry. I (not understand). Can you speak louder, please?

11. You (know) that woman? – I (think) yes, but I (not remember) her name.

12. What all those people (wait) for? – They (want) to see a famous singer. He (come) to give a concert.

13. I can’t buy any new clothes now. We (save) money to buy a car.

14. Peter (seem) to be happy at school. – Oh, yes. He (enjoy) playing with the children.

15. What the word “annually” (mean)? – It (mean) every year.

16. You (prefer) to go by car or by train? – It (depend) on the weather.

17. The child (keep) crying. – Maybe he (be) hungry.

18. We (have) a very nice holiday. We (have) a comfortable room in a hotel. And now we (have) breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant.

Exercise 3.5

Use the correct form of the verb, Present Simple or Present Continuous.

Dear Aunt Emily,

I (1) … just … (write) to tell you how much I (2) … (be) grateful for the money you sent me, and to tell you how I (3) … (get on) in my first term at university. I (4) … (study) very hard, but at the moment I (5) … (spend) a lot of time just making friends. I (6) … still … (stay) with my friend Jane, and I (7) … (look) for my own place to live. I (8) … (go) to lectures every morning and most afternoons I (9) … (study) in the library. In fact I (10) … (write) this letter instead of going to my phonetics class. I (11) … (think) I can spend the money you sent on some new clothes. Winter things (12) … (cost) a lot here, and I (13) … (save) to buy a warm coat. It (14) … (get) really cold here in the evenings. In general we (15) … (have) quite a good time here! I (16) … also … (learn) to drive.

See you soon. Love

Ann

Exercise 3.6

Read the dialogue and fill in the gaps with the Present Simple or Present Continuous.

A: Hi, Nick. What (1) … (you/do)?

B: I (2) … (look) through some old photos. Look, here’s an old picture of Brian and Jessica when they (3) … (get) married.

A: Oh, I (4) … (think) they (5) … (look) smart! Jessica (6) … (carry) such delicate flowers. And Brian’s suit (7) … (fit) him so well.

B: Yes, I (8) … (agree). Jessica (9) … (seem) really happy and Brian a bit serious. I wonder what he (10) … (think) about.

A: They (11) … (be) at that restaurant near the Opera House, (12) … (not be) they?

B: Yes, I (13) … (think) so. By the way, (14) … (Brian/have) the same job as before?

A: Not really. He (15) … (not work) for that company any more, now he (16) … (sell) designer clothes. And this month he (17) … (work) in Paris.

B: (18) … (Jessica/have) an opportunity to travel with her husband?

A: Not now. She (19) … (expect) a baby at the moment, so she (20) … (prefer) to stay at home.

B: I (21) … (see). And where (22) … (Brian/stay) in Paris?

A: I (23) … (not know) exactly. At a hotel probably.