The Present Continuous Tense
Exercise№1. Make true sentences (affirmative or negative) describing what is happening now.
| 1. I / wait / for a bus 2. I / practice / English grammar 3. My teacher / listen / to me 4. Leaves / fall / from trees 5. I / watch TV | 6. I / sit / on a chair 7. I / think hard 8. My group mates/do/this exercise too 9. It / rain / heavily 10.I / have tea / with my friends |
Exercise№2. Open the brackets using Present Continuous.
1. It’s so quiet in the house. Where are the children? – They (sleep).
2. You (always/come) late. Don’t you realize it’s not polite to keep people waiting?
3. Jane (return) from her holiday tomorrow, … she? – Oh, yes, we are going to meet her at the station.
4. As far as I know, he (not/look) for a new job.
5. What they (work at) at the moment? – I have no idea. They (make) more and more experiments.
6. I (move) to a new flat at the weekend. Perhaps you can help me if you (not/do) anything special.
Exercise№3. Complete the sentences. Use the correct time markers.
1. ____ we’re washing our clothes.
a. Right now b. Every Wednesday
2. ____ we wash our sheets and pillowcases.
a. Now b. Every Wednesday
3. They ____ go to rock concerts.
a. often b. at the moment
4. ____ they’re going to jazz concert.
a. Sometimes b. Now
5. I usually go to the cinema ____
a. once a week b. today
6. I’m going to the theatre ____
a. several times a year b. today
| State Verbs (глаголы состояния) не описывают действие, поэтому не могут употребляться в Continuous: • глаголы, выражающие восприятия, ощущения (see, hear, feel, taste, smell) This cake tastes delicious. • глаголы, выражающие мыслительную деятельность (know, think, remember, forget, recognize, believe, understand, notice, realize, seem, soun d и др.) I don’t know his name. • глаголы, выражающие эмоции, желания (love, like, dislike, hate, prefer, want и др.) Sue loves her Granny. • include, matter need, belong, cost, mean, own, appear, have, be и др. I’m tired now. I own a car. Некоторые глаголы состояния могут употребляться в Continuous, но при этом они меняют свое значение. I see a plane. – Я вижу самолет. I’m seeing Sam tonight. – Я увижусь с Сэмом сегодня вечером. Tom is tasting the turkey. – Том пробует индейку. It tastes delicious. – Она очень вкусная. I’m thinking about English grammar. – Я думаю/размышляю об английской грамматике. I think it’s interesting.(=consider) – Я считаю ее интересной. Глагол have не употребляется в Continuous только в прямом значении – «иметь»(possess). В устойчивых фразах данный глагол может употребляться в Continuous: have a lesson, have a smoke, have breakfast/dinner, have a bath/shower, have fun/difficulty, etc. She is having a bath. (=actively involved in) |
Exercise№1. Find the state verbs in the questions. Then match the questions with the answers.
| 1. c Does the meat taste good? 2. __Do you understand me? 3. __Does he know your last name? 4. __Does this book belong to her? 5. __Why does he hate this politician? 6. __What do you see? 7. __Do you own your home? 8. __Do you smell smoke? 9. __Do you love me? | a) Of course I do. My heart belongs to you. b) Nothing, it’s a foggy day. c) No, it doesn’t. It’s too salty. d) No, you are speaking too fast. e) No, we are renting. f) Yes, but he doesn’t know how to pronounce it. g) No, it’s my book. h) Because he is lying to us. i) No, I have a cold. |
Exercise№2. Write sentences. Use the present simple tense or the present continuous. Don’t forget about word order.
1. to / book / This / to belong / me
2. to paint / Right now / Don / the kitchen
3. the tape / Michael / to understand, not
4. to wear, not / I / a suit / today
5. now / They / a / car / new / to have
6. now / to rain / It
7. He / to talk, not / at the moment
8. He / a computer / to have
9. They / now / a lesson / to have
Exercise№3. Open the brackets.
1. I (not/belong) to a political party.
2. Hurry! The bus (come). I (not/ want) to miss it.
3. The River Nile (flow) into the Mediterranean.
4. The river (flow) very fast today – much faster than usual.
5. We (have) a party next Saturday. Would you like to come?
6. (it / ever snow) in India?
7. A: Can you drive?
B: No, but I (learn). My father (teach) me.
8. George says he’s 80 years old but I (not/believe) him.
9. Ron (be) in London at the moment. He (stay) at the Hilton Hotel. He usually (stay) at the Hilton Hotel in London.
10. I (not/go) away for my holidays next month because I haven’t got enough money. (you/go) away?
The Past Continuous Tense
Exercise№1. Here is a list of some things that Helen did yesterday (and the times at which she did them):
| 8.45 – 9.15 had breakfast 9.15 – 10.00 read the newspaper 10.00 – 12.00 cleaned her flat | 12.45 – 1.30 had lunch 2.30 – 3.30 washed some clothes 4.00 – 6.00 watched television |
Now write sentences saying what she was doing at these times
| At 9 o’clock she was having breakfast. At 9.30 she … At 11 o’clock … | At 1 o’clock… At 3 o’clock … At 5 o’clock … |
Exercise№2. Make affirmative or negative sentences saying what you and your relatives were doing at these times.
1. At this time yesterday – I / walk in the park
2. At 8 yesterday morning – my mother / make breakfast
3. At 1 o’clock yesterday – my friends / have classes at the University
4. At 9 o’clock last night - my Dad / watch the news program on TV
5. From 3 till 5 on Sunday – I / prepare homework
6. From 10 till 11 on Saturday – my Mum and I / clean the flat
7. At this time on Tuesday – I / play with my younger brother (sister)
Exercise№3. Choose the best way to complete the sentences. Say what tenses are used.
| 1. They were sleeping 2. I was skiing 3. I was cooking 4. She was feeding the dog 5. I was eating a carrot 6. We were driving to work 7. He was standing in the canoe 8. I was dreaming about my girlfriend | a) when it turned over and we fell in the water. b) when I burnt my finger. c) when the doorbell rang. d) when a truck banged into my car. e) when he called me on the telephone. f) when it bit her hand. g) when I fell and broke my leg. h) when my tooth fell out. |
Exercise№4. Open the brackets. Use the Past Simple tense or the Past Continuous.
1. Last night Carol (read) a story to Billy when he (fall) asleep.
2. When the storm (begin), Sue and Pete (drive) to New Jersey.
3. Tom (play) soccer when he (break) his arm.
4. Pete (shave) when he (cut) his chin.
5. When the accident (happen), it (snow).
6. What (you / do) at this time yesterday?
7. While we (dance), he (step) on my toe.
8. When it (start) to rain, Ann (play) tennis.
9. (you / watch) TV when I phoned you?
10. Norma (drive) to Brighton when a man (hit) her car.
Exercise№5. Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Simple or the Past Continuous. Then, say which uses of these tenses are shown in each extract.
A. Charlie Chaplin 1)...(become) one of the best-known personalities in America within two years of his first appearance in the cinema.
He 2)...(be) so famous that no studio could afford to pay him, so he 3)...(appear) only in films which he 4)...(produce) himself.
B. It 1)...(happen) at ten o’clock last night. John 2)...(sit) in his cosy living room with his wife and children. They 3)...(watch) the evening news on TV when suddenly, the lights 4)...(go out) and everything in the house 5)...(become) quiet.
C. The boys 1)...(play) football on the river bank while the girls 2)...(talk). Everyone 3)...(enjoy) the picnic when suddenly they 4)...(hear) a loud cry from further up the river. They all 5)...(run) to see what was wrong.
D. In prehistoric times, people 1)...(live) in caves. They 2)...(hunt) animals which they then 3)...(use) for food and clothing. They 4)...(make) everything by themselves and they 5)...(have) very simple lives.
Exercise№6. Work with a partner. Ask each other these questions.
Example:
A: Who was the last person to come to class today?
B: Tom.
A: What were you doing when Tom came in?
B: We were talking about the past progressive.
1. Who was the last person to come to class today?
2. What were you doing when this person came in?
3. Did you arrive before the teacher?
4. If so, what were you doing when the teacher came in?
5. Did you arrive after class began?
6. If so, what was the class doing when you came in?
7. What did you do when you entered the class?