The Communicative Grammar of English Workbook - Edward Woods, Rudy Coppieters 2002

5.5. Present time
Unit five. Time, tense and aspect

Sections 116-121

Present states, present (complete) events and present habits are all referred to by verbs in the simple present tense.

Temporary present events, and temporary and persistent habits, are referred to by verbs in the present progressive.

Occasionally, the simple past is used with verbs like ’want’ and ’wonder’ as a more tactful alternative to the simple present.

Task one **

Specify which of the above basic meanings is expressed by the underlined verb phrases in the following sentences.

1. I’m not drinking any alcohol this week as I’m on antibiotics.

2. My adoptive mother cooks for my father and for any relatives who drop in.

3. Rare properties are already being snapped up by western tourists who visit the Dalmatian coast each summer.

4. The patients pay according to means and some of them are sent here under contractual arrangements.

5. Why are you always asking if Uncle Toby really owns three Jaguars?

6. I don’t belong to a secret organization, I swear it.

7. I’m just showing the kids how to fly a kite and ... look, up it goes.

8. Charles doesn’t live at the cottage, but he and his wife do come almost every weekend.

9. Mr Duisenberg hails from Friesland, a Dutch province where people are known for their patience.

10. Did you want to see the doctor, Mrs Hopkins?

Task two **

Complete the following sentences using the most appropriate (active or passive) form of the verb in brackets.

1. My car (still repair) ... so I (commute) ... by train this week.

2. I (assure) ... you the situation (get) ... out of hand very quickly.

3. Lions (hunt) ... by night and (feed) ... on any animals they can pull down.

4. Bob, you (be) ... very rude again to the very person who (love) ... you most.

5. It (say) ... in the newspaper that new measures (consider) ... to fight organized crime.

6. Why (you continually interrupt) ... the speaker? He (deserve) ... your undivided attention, you (know) ... .

7. I (wonder) ... if you could possibly help me. I (try) ... to fix the ventilator but it (not work) ... yet.

8. Millions of people in Britain (get) ... their paper early in the morning because many newsagents (organize) ... ’paper rounds’.

9. I (make) ... a mess of this job but I (promise) ... to do better next time.

10. (you still think) ... of moving to the Seychelles or (you prefer) ... to stay in our northern hemisphere after all?

11. Dad (keep) ... telling me that the early bird (catch) ... the worm.

12. This tropical disease (spread) ... fast in Central Africa, where people (not earn) ... enough to buy expensive medicines.