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Simple present and present continuous

Exercise 1 The simple present and the present continuous. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct present tense.

1 Ann sees Paul putting-on his coat and says: Where you (go), Paul?

Paul: I (go) to buy some cigarettes. You (want) an evening paper?

2 Ann: No, thanks. You are always buying cigarettes, Paul. How many you (smoke) a day?

Paul: I (not smoke) very many—perhaps 20. Jack (smoke) far more than I (do). He (spend) £10 a week on cigarettes.

3 Mary (see) Peter standing at the bus stop.   

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Mary: Hello, Peter. What bus you (wait) for?

Peter: Hello, Mary. I (wait) for a 9 or a 14.

4 Mary: You usually (go) to work by car, don’t you?

Peter: Yes, but the car (belong) to my mother and she sometimes (want) it. She (use) it today to take Tom to the dentist.

5 Mary: I usually (go) by car too. Jack (take) me because he (pass) my office on his way to the factory. But this week he (work) in a factory in the opposite direction: so I (queue) like you.

6 Peter: Here’s a 9 now. You (come) on it or you (wait) for a 14?

Mary: I (think) I’ll take the 9. If I (wait) for a 14 I may be late, and if you (be) late at my office everyone (look) at you.

7 Mary and Ann (wait) outside a telephone box. Inside the box a boy (dial) a number.

Mary: You (know) that boy?

Ann: Yes, he’s a friend of my brother’s. He (phone) his girl friend - every day from this box.

8 Mary: Where he (come) from?

Ann: He (come) from Japan. He’s a very clever boy; he (speak) four languages.

9 Mary: I (wonder) what he (speak) now.

Ann: Well, his girl friend (come) from Japan too; so I (suppose) he (speak) Japanese.

10 It is 8.30. Tom and Ann (have) breakfast. They both (open) their letters.

Tom: No one ever (write) to me. All I (get) is bills! You (have) anything interesting?

11 Ann: I’ve got a letter from Hugh. He (say) he (come) to London next week and (want) us to meet him for lunch.

12 Peter: You (have) traffic wardens in your country?

Pedro: No, I (not think) so. You (not see) them in my town anyway. What exactly a traffic warden (do)?

13 Peter: He (walk) up and down the street and if a car (stay) too long at a parking place or (park) in a no-parking area he (stick) a parking ticket to the windscreen.

14 Look! He (put) a ticket on Tom’s car. Tom will be furious when he (see) it. He (hate) getting parking tickets.

15 Customer: I (want) to buy a fur coat. Have you any nice coats for about £500?

Assistant: I’m afraid we just (close), madam. It’s 4.55, and we always (close) at 5.00 sharp on Fridays as Mr Jones the manager (not want) to miss his favourite television programme.

16 It is Friday evening and the Brown family are at home. Mrs Brown (listen) to a concert on the radio; Mr Brown (read) a paper, George Brown (do) his homework and Ann Brown (write) a letter.

17 Mr Brown always (read) his newspapers in the evenings. Mrs Brown sometimes (knit) but she (not knit) tonight.

18 Mr Black often (go) to the theatre but his wife (not go) very often. He (like) all sorts of plays. She (prefer) comedies.

19 Tonight they (watch) a very modern comedy. They (enjoy) it, but they (not understand) some of the jokes.

20 What (happen) in your class? The teacher (give) lectures every day?~

No. He (give) one lecture a week, and on the other days he (show) films or (discuss) books with us.

21 A bus conductor (get) more exercise than a bus driver. The driver just (sit) in his cab but the conductor (stand) and (walk) about and (run) up and down the stairs.

22 Why that man (stand) in the middle of the road?

- He (try) to get across. He (wait) for a gap in the traffic.

- Why he (not use) the subway?

- Lots of people (not bother) to use the subway. They (prefer) to risk their lives crossing here.

23 You (wear) a new coat, aren’t you?

- Yes. You (like) it?

- The colour (suit) you but it (not fit) you very well. It’s much too big.

24 All the guides here (speak) at least three foreign languages, because a lot of foreign visitors (come) every summer.

25 Paul (take) a party of French tourists round now and tomorrow an American party (come).

26 Englishmen very seldom (talk) on the Underground. They (prefer) to read their newspapers.

- Those two men in the corner (talk).

- But they (not talk) English.

27 Jones and Co. (have) a sale at the moment. Shall we look in on our way home?

- Fd love to but I’m afraid I won’t have time. I (meet) Tom at 5.30.

28 You (go) out with Tom often?

-I usually (go) by train, but this weekend I (go) by bus. It (take) longer but it (cost) less.

29 Ann (on telephone): You (do) anything at the moment, Sally?

Sally: Yes. I (pack); I (catch) a plane to New York in three hours’ time.

Ann: Lucky girl! How long you (stay) in New York?

30 Peter: You (go) out tonight, Paul?

Paul: No, I (stay) at home. The neighbours (come) in to watch TV.

Peter: You (invite) the neighbours often?

Paul: No, but they (invite) themselves whenever there is a good programme.

31 Jack: I just (go) out to get an evening paper.

Ann: But it (pour)! Why you (not wait) till the rain (stop)? (7 advise you to wait.)

32 Lucy: Tom (get) up very early but he (wash) and (shave) and (get) his breakfast so quietly that I (not hear) a thing. But I (hear) him driving away from the house because his car (make) a lot of noise.

33 Alice: My brother (get) up very early too. But he (make) such a lot of noise that he (wake) everybody up. He (sing) in his bath and (bang) doors and (drop) things in the kitchen and (play) the radio very loudly.

34 Lucy: Why you (not ask) him to be a bit quieter?

Alice: I (mention) it every night but it (not do) any good. He (say) that he (not make) a sound, and I (think) he really (believe) it.

35 Tom: You (see) that man at the comer? He (keep) stopping people and asking them questions. You (think) he (ask) for directions?

Jack: No, I (expect) he (make) a survey.

Tom: How you (make) a survey?

Jack: You (stop) people and (ask) them questions and (write) the answers on a report sheet.

36 In most countries a child (start) school at six and (stay) for about five years in a primary school. Then he (move) to a secondary school. At 17 or 18 he (take) an exam; if he (do) well in this exam he can go on to a university if he (wish).

Exercise 2 The simple present and the present continuous. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct present tense.

1 Mrs Jones: My daughter never (write) to me so I never (know) what she (do). Your son (write) to you, Mrs Smith?

Mrs Smith: Yes, I (hear) from him every week. He (seem) to like writing letters.

2 These apples (cost) 40p a bag. You (think) that is expensive?

- It (depend) on the size of the bag.

3 I (see) my solicitor tomorrow (I have arranged this)', I (change) my will.

- You always (change) your will. Why you (not leave) it alone?

4 You (look) very thoughtful. What you (think) about?

- I (think) about my retirement.

- But you’re only 25. You only just (start) your career.

- I (know); but I (read) an article which (say) that a sensible man (start) thinking about retirement at 25.

5 My next door neighbour always (knock) on my door and (ask) me to lend her lOp pieces.

- What she (do) with them?

- She (put) them in her gas meter. I really (not mind) lending her a few lOp pieces but what (annoy) me is that she (know) how many she (need) each week but never (take) the trouble to bring the right number home.

6 What she (do) if she (run out) of them when you are away?

- Oh, she (borrow) from her other neighbour, Mr White; but this (take) longer because he always (want) her to stay and chat and she (find) it quite hard to get away from him.

7 How much she (owe) you now?

- I (not know); I (not keep) an account. Anyway she (leave) next week; she (get) married. I (try) to think of a suitable wedding present.

8 Why you (not offer) to cancel her debt?

- That (sound) rather a mean sort of present. Anyway she probably (not realize) that she (owe) me money.

9 My brother (say) that people who (owe) him money always (seem) to forget about it, but people he (owe) money to always (remember) exactly.

10 I (not think) your brother (enjoy) the party. He (keep) looking at his watch.

- Oh, I’m sure he (enjoy) it. He always (enjoy) your parties. But I (know) he (want) to be home early tonight because he (expect) an important telephone call.

11 Jack: How much longer you (stay) in England?

Paul: Only one more day. I (leave) tomorrow night. I (go) to Holland for two weeks.

12 Jack: And you (come) back to England after that or you (go) home?

Paul: It (depend) on my father. But if he (agree) to let me go on studying here I’ll certainly come back. And I (expect) he will agree.

13 Paul: By the way, Jack, Ann (see) me off at Victoria tomorrow. Why you (not come) too? You could have coffee with her afterwards. (Paul is advising/inviting Jack to come and see him off.)

14 You (see) that man at the corner of the street? He is a private detective. He (watch) No. 24.

- How you (know) he (watch) No. 24?

- Because whenever anyone (come) out of, or (go) into, the house he (make) a note in his little book.

15 What all those people (do) in the middle of the street? And why they (wear) such extraordinary clothes?

- They (make) a film. Most of the crowd are local people who (work) as extras.

16 It (sound) great fun. You (think) I could get a job as a film extra?

- I (not know) but I (see) Ann over there; when they (finish) this scene I’ll ask her if they still (take) on extras.

17 Ann (act) in the film?

- She has a small part. She (not act) very well. I (imagine) she got the part because she (know) the director.

18 My brother (live) next door and his two children (come) and (see) me every day. The boy (not bother) to knock at the door; he just (climb) in through the window; but the girl always (knock).

19 Tom: We (move) into our new house tomorrow.

Bill: But why you (leave) your present house? It (suit) you all.

Tom: Yes, I (know) it (do); but the Council (pull down) all the houses on this side. They (widen) the road. They (say) it’s a bottleneck.

20 If you (ask) a friend if she (like) your new dress she usually (say) ‘Yes’; so you (not know) whether she really (think) it (suit) you or whether she merely (be) polite.

21 If you (want) a candid opinion you’d better ask my sister. She never (tell) white lies; she always (say) exactly what she (think).

22 Your sister’s frankness (annoy) people?

- Yes, it (do). The average person (not want) a truthful answer; he (want) you to say something agreeable.

23 I (hear) that you have bought a new house.

- Yes, but I (not live) in it yet. They still (work) on it, and the work (take) longer than I expected.

24 I (think) repair jobs always (take) longer than one (expect). What they (do) now? - They (put) in new electric points. They (seem) competent electricians but they (smoke) at their work and this (slow) them down.

25 They always (hammer) next door.

- Yes, that house (keep) changing hands and the new owner always (begin) by putting in a new fireplace, and their fireplace is just on the other side of this wall so we (hear) everything. The wall (shake), too.

26 Ann (stir) something in a saucepan and Mary (stand) beside her holding a cookery book.

Mary: It (say) ‘simmer’, and you (boil) it, Ann.

Ann: I (not think) it (matter) if you (cook) it quickly; but I (not know) why it (not get) thick. It usually (thicken) at once.

27 The hall (be) painted at the moment, so it (not look) its best.

- But where are the painters? They (stop) work at 3.00?

- No, they are in the kitchen. They (have) a tea break.

28 What the word ‘Establishment’ (mean)? My dictionary (not give) an explanation. - It roughly (mean) the government and people who (have) power and authority.

29 If we (say) that Mr Brown (belong) to the Establishment we also (imply) that he (accept) the existing system. He (not try) to overthrow it.

30 All rich men (belong) to the Establishment?

- Middle-aged rich men probably (do) but rich young men like pop singers always (jeer) at the Establishment. The word (be used) chiefly in a pejorative sense.

31 The house opposite the college (be pulled) down. That’s why we (use) the back entrance at present. If you (go) out by the front door you (get) covered with dust.

32 Tom: I (smell) something burning!

Jack: So (do) 1.1 (think) it (come) from the kitchen. Ann probably (iron). She usually (iron) and (watch) TV at the same time and if she (get) very interested in a programme she (forget) that she (press) a hot iron on to somebody’s shirt. Mother (think) of selling the TV set.

33 Mrs Jones: What you (look) for, Tom?

Mr Jones: I (look) for the garage key. I always (look) for the garage key, because nobody ever (put) it back on its hook.

Mrs Jones: I always (put) it back on its hook. Why you (not try) your pockets? {I advise you to try your pockets).

34 Imagine that you (travel) by train, in a crowded compartment. One of the passengers (read) a newspaper; another (do) a crossword puzzle; another (look out) of the window. Suddenly the train (stop) with a jerk and your suitcase (fall) off the rack on to somebody’s toes.

35 This is a story about an invalid who (spend) most of the day in bed. He has a powerful telescope and he (amuse) himself by watching the activities of the people in the opposite houses. One day when he (watch) No. 24 he (see) a murder being committed.

36 The cashier used to do the accounts and I used to check his figures; now the computer (do) it all.

- And who (check) the computer?

- No one. The computer (not need) a second opinion.

- And what (happen) if the computer (make) a mistake?

- The computer never (make) a mistake.

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