Present Simple and Present Progressive

Tense	Signal words	Use	Form	Examples positive	Examples negative	Examples questions
Present Simple	Every day/ week… Sometimes Always Often Usually Seldom Never	-something happens repeatedly; -how often it happens; -one action follows another; -things in general; -with verbs like, love, hate, think, etc.; -timetables.	Infinitive He/she/it Infinitive+s	I work. He works. I go. He goes.	I don’t work. He doesn’t work. I don’t go. Hedoesn’tgo.	Do I work? Does he work? Do I go? Does he go?
Present Progressive	Now At the moment Look! Listen!	-something is happening at the time of speaking or around it; -future meaning: fixed plan, date. -	Be (am/are/is)+infinitive+ing	I’m work ing. He’s work ing. I’m go ing. He’s go ing.	I’m not work ing. He isn’t work ing. I’m not go ing. He isn’t go ing.	Am I work ing? Is he work ing? Am I go ing? Is he go ing?

 

Exercise 1. Read the paragraph and answer the questions:

Brian is a doctor. He looks after sick people. He usually gets up at 6.00 o’clock. Today he is late, it is 6.30 and he is still in bed. He usually goes to work by train but today he is driving to work. He arrives at work at 6.30 every morning but it is 7.30 now and he is still driving.

It’s 12.00 o’clock now. He always has his lunch at 12.00 but today he isn’t having lunch at 12.00, he is looking after his sick patients. It is half past seven now, Brian is watching TV. He usually watches TV at half past seven because his favorite program starts at half past seven. Brian has his dinner at 8.30 every day and he is having dinner now.

It is 24.00 now Brian is going to bed. He always goes to bed at 24.00.

1. What does Brian do? 6. When does he always have his lunch?

 

2. What time does he usually get up? 7. What is he doing at 12.00 today?

 

3. How does he usually go to work? 8. Why does he usually watch TV at 7.30?

 

4. Why is he driving to work today? 9. What time does he go to bed?

 

5. What time does he arrive at work every day? 10. What time is he going to bed now?

Exercise 2. Fill in the blanks with PRESENT CONTINUOUS or SIMPLE PRESENT:

1. The children ………………………….. (play) outside now.

2. She usually ………………………. (read) the newspaper in the morning.

3. I …………………………… (do) my homework now.

4. I ………………………… (eat) my dinner now.

5. ……………………………. (you / want) a pizza?

6. They …………………………….. (watch) TV now.

7. I ……………………………. (not / like) spaghetti.

8. The baby …………………………. (sleep) now.

9. My mother usually …………………. (cook) dinner in the evening.

10. He …………………….. (write) a letter to his pen-friend every month.

11. She ………………………. (not / like) football.

12. Mary ………………………….. (listen) to music now.

13. Tom usually ……………………(drink) coffee, but he …………………. (drink) tea now.

14. We ………………………. (go) to the disco tonight.

15. ………………………… (he / go) to work by bus everyday.

Exercise 3. Read the questions & answers about ALAN and ask and answer about JUDITH.

Questions:ALAN

1. What does Alan do? 1. Alan’s a lorry driver.

2. How old is Alan? 2. He’s twenty-five years old.

3. How many days a week does he work? 3. He works five days a week.

4. What time does he get up? 4. He gets up at six o’clock every day.

5. What does he eat for breakfast? 5. He eats an enormous breakfast.

6. What does he drink? 6. He drinks two cups of tea.

7. What does he do after breakfast? 7.Then he kisses his wife.

8. What time does he leave for work? 8.He leaves for work at half past six.

9. Where does he have lunch? 9. He has lunch in a transport café.

10.What time does he come home? 10.He comes home at five o’clock.

11.Where does he go in the evening? 11.In the evening he goes to the pub.

12.What time does he go to bed? 12.He goes to bed at ten o’clock.

Questions:JUDITH

1. ………………………………………………. 1. secretary

2. ………………………………………………. 2. 18

3. ……………………………………………….. 3. 5 days a week.

4. ……………………………………………….. 4. 7.30

5. ……………………………………………….. 5. cornflakes

6. ……………………………………………….. 6. orange-juice

7. ……………………………………………….. 7. parents

8. ……………………………………………….. 8. 8.15

9. ……………………………………………….. 9. in the canteen

10. ………………………………………………. 10. home / 5.30

11. ………………………………………………. 11. evening classes

12. ………………………………………………. 12. eleven o’clock

Exercise 4. Complete the sentences with SIMPLE PRESENT or PRESENT CONTINUOUS:

1. Susan usually ………………. (go) to school by bus, but now she …………………….. (go) to school by train.

2. Mary often ……………….. (read) in bed, but today she is very tired and she ………………………. (not / read).

3. The boys usually ………………… (ride) their bikes to school. They ……………. ………………… (like / ride) their bikes. They ……………… (be) very naughty boys. They always …………………… (go) to school late. Today their teacher …………………. (be) very angry, because they ………………… (be) late again.

4. Mary ……………………….. (like / eat) sweets. Every morning she ……………. (have) coffee with a lot of sweets and chocolate. For lunch she and her friends often ……………….. (eat) sweets or ice-cream. She ……………………… (not / like / eat) fruit or vegetables. She ……………………… (eat / never) eggs or cheese. Today she ………………….. (be) sick. She …………………… (sleep) in her room now.

Exercise 5. Read the text carefully and answer the questions:

Right now I am looking at a picture of Barbara. She is not at home in the picture. She is at the park. She is sitting on a bench. She is eating her lunch. Some boys and girls are running on a patch in the park. A squirrel is sitting on the ground in front of Barbara. The squirrel is eating a nut. Barbara is watching the squirrel. She always watches squirrels when she eats her lunch in the park. Some ducks are swimming in the pond in the picture, and some birds are flying in the sky. A policeman is riding a horse. He rides a horse in the park every day. Near Barbara, a family is having a picnic. They go on a picnic every week.

1. Where is Barbara in the picture?

2.What is she doing?

3.What is the squirrel doing in the picture?

4.What does Barbara always do when she has lunch in the park?

5. What are the ducks doing?

6.How often does the policeman ride his horse?

7.How often does the family have a picnic at the park?

Exercise 6. Use the CORRECT TENSE:

1. Look! Jane ………………………… (sing) again. She often …………………….. (sing) this song.

2. My father ………………………………(have) a lot of work to do every weekend.

3. The girls …………………………………….. (not / talk) now. All of them ………………………… (watch) a film.

4. …………………… you …………………….. (like) watching TV?

5. He …………………………………….. (usually / go) at 9:00 o’clock, but this morning he ………………………………….. (leave) home late.

6. I ……………………………………. (visit) my grandparents every Friday. My sister ………………………………………. (often / visit) them.

7. The boys …………………………………….. (swim) in the pool now but they ………………………………………… (usually / swim) in the sea.

8. She ……………………………….(write) a letter to her pen-friend at the moment.

9. They …………………………………….. (sometimes / have) lunch at work, but today they …………………………………. (have) at a restaurant.

10. She can’t talk to you. She ………………………………………. (have) a shower.

11. “Where …………………………… Alex ……………………… (live)?“In France.”

12. Tom ………………………………………… (like / ride) a horse in his free times.

13. The children ………………………… (play) the piano and ……………………… (sing) a song at the moment.

14. My mother ………………………………………. (always / cook) in the morning.

15. What …………………………………………… (you / usually / do) at weekends?

16. Jane ………………………………………… (give) a party today because it ………………………… (be) her birthday.

17. The lesson …………………………… (start) at 9 o’clock every morning.

18. Adam is in his room now. He …………………………………. (write) a letter to his pen-friend. He …………………………………….. (always / write) him a letter.

Exercise 7. Answer the questions:

1. How often do you walk to school?

2. What do you do after school?

3. What can you eat in an Italian restaurant?

3. Where does a doctor work?

4. What are you going to do next Saturday?

Exercise 8. Ask questions for the underlined words:

1. ……………………………………………………………………………………?

George often has a bath.

2. ……………………………………………………………………………………?

Mike eats corn-flakes for breakfast every morning.

3. ……………………………………………………………………………………?

The teacher is writing some examples on the board.

4. ……………………………………………………………………………………?

Tom is watching a film now.

5. ……………………………………………………………………………………?

My parents never smoke cigarettes.

6. ……………………………………………………………………………………?

Peter and Rob go to school by service bus.

7. …………………………………………………………………………………….?

Sam is doing his homework in his room.

8. ……………………………………………………………………………………?

I read two books every month.

9. ……………………………………………………………………………………?

I can’t understand Hans because I don’t know German.

10. ……………………………………………………………………………………?

No, Sally isn’t writing a letter now.

Exercise 9. Write a question word in each blank (For example: When, How, Why, How many..) and then match the questions with the answers:

1. …………………….. is your music lesson? a) Because, I’m hungry.

2. …………………….. is it? b) Fine.

3. …………………….. books are there in your bag? c) Germany.

4. …………………….. likes James? d) Mary.

5. …………………….. is your watch? e) In the garden.

6. …………………….. are you? f) In June.

7. …………………….. are the children? g) It is half past two.

8. …………………….. your father’s birthday? h) 5.

9. …………………….. do you want a sandwich? I) Tuesday.

10. …………………….. is she from? j) Six.

Exercise 10. Build up sentences:

1. He / like watching TV / but / he / not / watch / at the moment / because / he / sleep //

2. What / Wendy / do / at the moment /? // She / clean / her teeth / bathroom //

3. mother / can (-) / help me / now / because / she / cook / kitchen //

4. Where / your cousin / live /? // She / live / Sydney / Australia //

5. Why / you / eat / sandwich / now /? // Because / I / be / hungry //

6. Tim / usually / go / work / bicycle //

7. children / play / games / everyday //

8. My brother / can (-) / play / tennis / because / he / not / have / racket //

9. How often / mother / cook / pizza /? //

10. My parents / not / like / roller-skates / because / they / be / dangerous //