Dear mom and dad,

Well I want to tell you about my first week of classes at the University. Wow am I ever busy! I
get up at 6:00 every morning. That is really early for me. I don't like to get up early you know. I
usually eat breakfast in the school cafeteria. The food here is pretty good. I have German class
every morning at 7:30. After German class I have Business and Economics on Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday at 10:00. I have a lot of homework in that class but I really like it. It's
interesting. I also have English Composition on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Tuesdays
and Thursdays I have United States History.

The campus here is really big. The first day I was lost. I did not know where to find anything.
Now I know where all the buildings are and I know where my classrooms are. That's the most
important. My dormitory is close so I walk to all my classes. It's only about ten minutes.

My roommate's name is Eric. He is from Los Angeles. We get along well. He is quiet and
doesn't make a lot of noise. Sometimes Eric and I have dinner together. We don't see each other
much though because our schedules are really different.

During the evening I study. Sometimes I study in the library and sometimes in the dormitory. I
have to write three reports this semester so I have to read some books in the library. I usually go
to bed around eleven.

Mom I sure miss your cooking. Do you think you could send me some of your homemade
chocolate chip cookies? Well I have to go. Take care.

Love,
Jerry

1.Jerry does not like to 5. How long has Jerry been in the
A study. University?
B go to the university. A one semester.
C get up early. B one week.
D eat in the cafeteria. C one month.
D one year.
2. Jerry does not study
A German 6. What problem did Jerry have the first
B Chemistry day of school?
C Business A He did not like the food.
D History B He was lonely.
C He had to write a lof of reports.
3. Jerry's first class of the day is D He did not know the campus well.
A German
B History 7. How long does it take Jerry to walk to
C Business and Economics class?
D English Composition A Four classes.
B The first day.
4. What class does Jerry have on Tuesday C Ten minutes.
and Thursday? D Very easy.
A English Composition
B German 8. What do Jerry and Eric sometimes do
C Business and Economics together?
D U.S. History A Study
B Have dinner
C Go to the library
D Write reports for their classes
Complete
1. He goes to school. Look, he to school!
2. He drinks a coffee. Look, he a coffee!
3. I swim every day. Look, I !
4. She washes her hair. Look, she her hair!
5. The cat always drinks its milk. Look, it its milk!
6. We dance in the living room. Look, we in the living room!
7. They run to church. Look, they to church!
8. You write a letter. Now, you a letter.
9. Mother cooks in the kitchen. Right now, mother in the kitchen.
10. The monkey eats bananas. Look, the monkey a banana!
11. In the afternoon we watch TV. We TV at the moment.
12. They have breakfast. Look, They their breakfast!
13. Father drives a big car. At the moment father a little red car
14. The penguin swims very good. Look, the two little penguins !
15. The children eat their breakfast. The children their breakfast now.
16. Peter writes his homework. Peter can't come, he his homework.
17. We can't play tennis. It (rain) now
18. Michael can't play football. He (play) the guitar at the moment.
19. No, I am not listening to my cassettes, I (have) a bath.
20. What are you doing? I (learn) English.
21. Today it is not raining, the sun (shine).
22. What are you doing? I (watch) TV.
Listening: Circle all the present verbs and the gerund in every sentence.

In session 21 we are looking at two of the tenses of the English language: Present simple
and present continuous. Do you remember when we use present simple? Yes, we use
present simple when we talk about things we do on a regular basis such as daily routines.
Here are some examples:

Our new colleague comes to work by car.

We often work late.
We don't usually work on Saturday.

We also use the present simple when we want to express a skill. Listen to the following
examples:

Our line manager speaks three languages.

She also plays the piano very well and even creates her own songs.

There are more cases in which we use present simple. Listen to the following examples and find
out why we present simple is used here:

Our company provides a lot of different services.

It often rains in Leipzig in winter.
Water boils at 100 degrees.
The Earth goes round the Sun.

Now, let's have a look at the present continuous. As you know the present continuous is a tense
which doesn't exist in the German language. Listen to the examples first:

I'm talking to you now.

It's raining again.
The music is playing in the background.
I can't work when someone is watching me.
Our students are waiting for their new English class.
I'm going to Leipzig tomorrow.

We use the present continuous tense when we talk about something that is happening right now
or when we want to express a future plan.

How do we make the present continuous tense? Yes, it's the subject plus a form of the BE-verb
plus the verb with ending -ING-. This form of the verb is also called a "gerund." It sounds
complicated but it's not. You can practise the present continuous and the other tenses when
you're in our English class.