Grammar Practice in Context - David Bolton, Noel Goodey 1997
3 The present continuous or the present simple? He’s smoking or He smokes?
Quick reference
We use the present continuous:
• for things that are in progress at the moment of speaking.
Look! It’s raining. Be quiet! The film’s starting.
You aren’t listening to me. You’re reading the paper.
• for a present activity or situation that may not be in progress at the moment of speaking.
I’m not happy at work. I’m looking for a new job. He’s studying maths at college.
• for future plans or arrangements.
We’re meeting at 8.30 this evening. The President is visiting China next month.
We use the present simple:
• for repeated actions and regular situations. We often use the words always, often, usually, every week, never, etc. with the present simple.
He smokes. They often come late. He sells second-hand cars.
• for general facts and permanent situations.
The sun rises in the east. They live in London.
• with verbs which describe a state (a situation which stays the same) and not an action. The most common verbs are: believe, belong, contain, exist, forget, hate, hear, know, like, love, mean, need, own, prefer, realise, remember, seem, suppose, understand, want.
I want a drink. He doesn’t like her. I love you.
• Some verbs {think, have, be, see, smell, tastei can describe a state or an action.
When the verb describes a state, we use the present simple.
She thinks she’s beautiful. This egg is bad. This car has a sun-roof.
When the verb is an action, we use the present continuous.
What are you thinking about? You’re being very silly. She’s having a shower.
1 Match the five examples on the left with the various uses of the present simple and the present continuous on the right.
1 I smoke 20 cigarettes a day.
2 Smoking damages your health.
3 I’m smoking a lot nowadays.
4 I’m smoking.
5 I’m giving up smoking next week.
Present continuous
a) Present action
b) Present situation that may not be happening at the moment of speaking
c) Future plan/intention
Present simple
d) Facts
e) Habits/repeated actions
1.... 2.... 3.... 4.... 5....
2 An English teacher in London is talking to her students. Match her questions with their answers.
1 What are you reading, Adriana?
2 What do you read?
3 What do you do, Carlos?
4 What are you doing?
5 Where do you live, Christos?
6 Where are you living?
7 Yvette and Helene, what are you talking about?
8 What do you talk about?
9 Is it raining, Fabio?
10 Does it rain?
11 What do you eat, Maria?
12 What are you eating, Maria?
13 What language are you speaking, Marco and Dieter?
14 What language do you speak?
a) Books about ancient history.
b) A book about the Classical period of Greek history.
a) I’m an engineer.
b) I’m finishing this exercise.
a) In Athens.
b) With friends in a house in Kensington.
a) What we’re going to do after the class.
b) Lots of things, but usually boys.
a) Only in the wet season.
b) Not at the moment.
a) Vegetarian food.
b) Some chocolate.
a) English, of course.
b) I speak Italian and Dieter speaks German.
1 ...
2 ...
3 ...
4 ...
5 ...
6 ...
7 ...
8 ...
9 ...
10 ...
11 ...
12 ...
13 ...
14 ...
3 A man is phoning the police. Put the verbs in brackets into the present simple or the present continuous.
Hello. (1 Be) … that the police? I (2 ring) … to complain about the noise which (3 come) … from the flat above me. They (4 have) … a party and they (5 play) … music - very loudly. The man who (6 live) … there (7 have)................... … a party every weekend. And every weekend I (8 ask) … him to turn the music down but he (9 not take) … any notice. And they (10 not leave) … until 2 or 3 in the morning. I (11 not complain) … very often. But tonight the noise is awful and it (12 keep) … me awake. Oh good, you (13 send) … a police car round. Where I (14 live) …? Oh, 36 Philbeach Gardens, London W8.
4 Answer the questions about the boy in the picture.
a) Write eight sentences about Matthew. Look at the picture and write down four things he is doing and four things he does. Use these verbs.
wear (x2)
watch
work
play (x2)
ride
use
read
listen
Examples: He's mearinq a T shirt. He matches TV.
1 ...
2 ...
3 ...
4 ...
5 ...
6 ...
7 ...
8 ...
b) Are the following statements about Matthew true or false?
1 a) He’s watching TV.
2 a) He plays tennis.
3 a) He’s using a computer.
4 a) He rides a motorbike.
b) He watches TV.
b) He’s playing tennis.
b) He uses a computer.
b) He’s riding a motorbike.
1 a) ... b) ...
2 a) ... b) ...
3 a) ... b) ...
4 a) ... b) ...
5 A boy and a girl are getting to know each other at a party. Match the questions on the left with the answers on the right.
1 What do you do?
2 What are you studying?
3 What’s that you’re drinking?
4 Are you enjoying the party?
5 Where do you come from?
6 Where are you living at the moment?
7 How are you getting home?
8 Do you want to dance?
a) Yes, I am.
b) I’m from Manchester.
c) I’m a student.
d) I’m walking.
e) Yes, OK.
f) Psychology.
g) I don’t know what it’s called.
h) In a student hostel.
1.... 2.... 3.... 4.... 5.... 6.... 7.... 8....
6 It is Tessa’s first day at work. It is lunch time and Abby, a girl she works with, is telling her about the other people in the dining room. Look carefully at the text. Some of the lines are correct and some have a mistake. If a line is correct, put a tick (✓) after it. If a line has a mistake in it, underline the mistake and write the correction in the brackets.
The girl over there works in the accounts department. At the moment she goes out with that boy who’s waiting to use the phone. He works in the accounts department this week but normally he works in the marketing department. The man over there who’s putting on his jacket is the sales manager. He’s travelling a lot so we don’t see him very often. The woman who sits opposite him is his secretary. Some people are thinking they’re having an affair but I don’t believe it. Then there’s Emma Harrison, the marketing manager. She stands by the door. She start work at 7.30 and doesn’t leave till 8.00 in the evening. The man at the next table is Neil Wilson. He smokes 60 cigarettes a day. Apparently, he thinks of giving it up, but I don’t think he will. He’s getting married next month and he has his honeymoon in the Seychelles. He’s the chief accountant. He’s having his own space in the car park. He want to become managing director.
(1 ...) (6 ...) (11 ...)
(2 ...) (7 ...) (12 ...)
(3 ...) (8 ...) (13 ...)
(4 ...) (9 ...) (14 ...)
(5 ...) (10 ...)
7 a) Write down three things you are doing now and three you are not doing.
b) Then write three things you normally do and three you do not normally do. Check your answers with a teacher.
Examples:
I'm writing in English. I'm not watching television.
I get up at 7.30. I don’t go to church.