Present simple and present continuous

Present simple
We use the present simple to talk about:
regular habits and routines.
We usually go rollerblading at the weekend.
permanent situations.
David lives in Manchester.
scientific facts.
Water boils at 100C.
states, not actions, e.g. like, believe, know.
She doesnt like chorizo.
Present continuous
We use the present continuous to talk about:
something that is happening now or
around now.
Theyre playing tennis at the moment.
temporary situations.
Hes visiting his grandparents in Ibiza.
changing or developing situations.
The number of car accidents every year
is increasing.
future arrangements.
Shes going to the cinema this evening.

1 Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the present simple or present continuous.
Kim usually visits (visit) her cousins at
the weekend.
At the moment Linda is working (work) as a motorcycle courier.
1 Tom often
(not go) to the Cyber caf.
2 Excuse me. you
(know) how to get to
Church Street?
3 What you
(listen to)?
4 Juan (work) for the Iberia airline. Hes a pilot.
5 In the summer, the sun (rise) at five oclock in the morning.
6 I (not like) my gym. I
(not get) fit fast enough!
7 Tom and I (go) to the beach this weekend.
2 Complete the text. Use the correct form of the present simple or present continuous.
Its the year 2100. Ben 1 (be) a
computer programmer and he 2
(live) on the moon. Every day at 18.00 he
3
(finish) work at the space station
and 4 (go) to the Matrix caf.
Its 18.30 and Ben 5 (look out)
of the caf window at the space cars flying by.
Every day he 6 (watch) the
same space cars, but today is different. Ben
7
(not sit) alone. There
8
(be) a girl at his table. She
9
(read) a digital magazine. The
girl is very beautiful. She 10
(have got) short, orange hair and yellow eyes.
She 11 (wear) a green space suit.
12 I (know)
you? she asks.
I 13 (not think) so, says Ben.
Im Ben. Whats your name?

3 Write the questions. Use the present simple or present continuous. Then answer them.

1 What / you / do / next weekend?

2 How often / you / go / to the cinema?


3 What time / you / usually / get up?


4 What / you / wear / today?


Present perfect simple and past simple
Present perfect simple
We use the present perfect simple:
to talk about an experience in somebodys life.
(We dont say when it happened.)
Hes had a mobile phone for a long time.
with for and since to talk about an action that
started in the past and continues to the present.
Tims known Kate since he was ten.
with just, yet and already for a past action with
a result in the present.
Ive just bought a new mountain bike.
Past simple
We use the past simple to talk about a finished
action that happened at a definite time in the past.
We saw John at the weekend.

1 Choose the correct words.

1 Theyve already / yet visited Venice.
2 Have you ever / never seen a ghost?
3 Has she finished work just / yet?
4 Theyve been married for / since October.
5 Lucy has worked in the circus since / for she was a child.
6 David has just / yet got back from holiday.

2 Complete the newspaper extracts. Use the correct form of the present perfect simple or past
simple.

Last night a massive tidal wave 1

(hit) the coast of Mexico. Over 5,000 people
2
(already / lose) their homes.

Yesterday a girl 3 (hand in) a

briefcase containing 100,000 to the police.
The girl found the briefcase at Euston
railway station.

The cost of living in Britain 4

(rise) again. Last year prices in British
supermarkets 5 (increase) by
more than five per cent.
3 Complete the text. Use the correct form of the present perfect simple or past simple.
1
you (ever / dream) of being a film star? Leonardo DiCaprio was only five
years old when he 2.(star) in his first TV show, and just thirteen when he 3
(appear) in his first film. Since then he 4 (not stop) working. He 5 (be) in
over fifteen films and he 6 (work) with stars such as Robert De Niro and Johnny Depp.
Leonardo 7 (be) born in Los
Angeles in 1974. After appearing in TV shows,
he 8 (get) his first film role in
Critters 3, then he starred in Romeo and Juliet.
But it 9 (not be) until Titanic that
he 10 (become) a world-famous
teen idol. It was then that Leonardo
11
(begin) to appear on magazine
covers around the world.
Since Titanic, Leonardo 12 (be)
very busy. He 13 (already / make)
three more films and 14 (just / start) work on another.

4 Write questions about Leonardo. Use the present perfect simple or past simple.

1 How old / when / first appear / on TV?

2 ever / meet / Robert De Niro?

3 How long / be / an actor?

4 famous / before Titanic?

5 How many / films / make / since Titanic?

Present perfect continuous

present perfect continuous
Affirmative: we use have/has + been + the -ing
form of the verb.
Hes been writing letters all morning.
Negative: we use havent/hasnt + been + the
-ing form of the verb.
We havent been reading much lately.
Interrogative: we put have/has before the
subject + been + the -ing form of the verb.
You look hot! Have you been running?

1 Complete the conversations with the correct form of present perfect continuous.
1 How long he (play) that computer game?
Since ten oclock this morning!
2 You look dirty!
 I (repair) my motorbike.
3 Frank has got a black eye.
he
(fight) again?
4 Why is she crying?
She (watch) a sad film.
5 Mary looks tired.
Yes. She (revise) all night for her exams.
6 Ive been here since one oclock. What
you (do)?
I (look for) you!

present perfect simple

We use the present perfect simple to emphasize:
the result of an activity (not the activity
itself).
Weve written ten letters today.
how many times an activity happens.
Ive read this book three times.
present perfect continuous
We use the present perfect continuous
to emphasize:
the process of an activity.
Weve been writing letters since breakfast.
how long an activity continues.
Ive been reading all morning.

2 Choose the correct tenses.

1 Steven Spielberg has directed / has been directing over twenty films since 1980.
2 He has worked on / has been working on a new film since January.
3 John Galliano has designed / has been designing clothes for a long time.
4 He has designed / has been designing two new collections since last summer.
5 Lonely Planet have published / have been publishing two new travel guides this month.
6 They have published / have been publishing travel guides for years.

3 Complete the text. Use the correct form

of the present perfect simple or present perfect continuous.
Ever since he was a teenager Alex Whitestone
1
(want) to travel. This year he
decided to do it. Alex gave up his job as a
journalist in July, and since then he
2
(travel) around the world. So far
he 3 (visit) four different countries.
At the moment Alex is in Bangkok, in
Thailand. He 4 (already / be)
there for five days. I 5 (never / be)
to Asia before, so it was my first stop, he
explains.
So 6 he (buy) any
souvenirs yet? Not yet, says Alex.
And what about the food? Its great! I
7
(eat) a lot of rice and fish, he says.
During his travels Alex 8 (meet)
many other tourists. I 9 (made)
some new friends, he says, and we
10
(exchange) advice about where
to go and what to see. I 11
(also / write) a travel guide, but I
12
(not finish) it yet!

Past simple and past continuous

Past simple
We use the past simple to talk about a finished
action in the past.
Mark went to the cinema last night.
Past continuous
We use the past continuous to talk about:
an action which was in progress at a particular
time in the past.
They were watching TV at nine oclock
last night.
an action in the past that is interrupted by another
action
I was walking along the street when someone stole
my bag.

1 Choose the correct tenses.

It was one oclock in the morning and I

1
was lying / lay awake in bed. The wind
2
was blowing / blew outside and it 3 rained / was
raining. Suddenly I 4 heard / was hearing a loud
crash. It 5 came / was coming from downstairs. I 6
got up / was getting up and 7 switched on / was
switching on the light. Everything was quiet and
still. Only the clock in the hallway 8 was ticking /
ticked. I 9 walked / was walking down the stairs
when I 10 noticed / was noticing something
strange. The front door was wide open.

2 Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the past simple or past continuous.
 Peter was driving (drive) home when he saw
(see) the accident.
1 I (watch) TV when the phone
(ring).
2 He (wear) sunglasses when I
(meet) him.
3 She (fall) asleep while she
(do) her homework.
4 The pop star (sing) when the
lights (go out).
5 It (start) to rain when we
(walk) on the beach.

3 Complete the text. Use the correct form of the past simple or past continuous.
At midnight last night rescue teams
1
(search) for victims after a
giant tornado 2 (hit) Oklahoma
and Kansas. The storm flattened more than
5,000 homes and 3 (injure)
more than 700 people.
Robert Hensley 4 (hide) in
his cellar when the tornado 5
(destroy) his home. I 6 (not come out) until two hours later, he said,
My house was gone and I 7
(not recognize) the street.
Mary Richardson 8 (have) a
bath when she 9 (hear) the
tornado. She quickly 10 (put on)
a coat and 11 (escape) to the
local high school. I 12 (run) to
the school when the tornado 13
(strike) my house, she said. It
14
(be) a very frightening
experience.

4 Write the questions. Use the past simple or past continuous.

1 What / the rescue teams / do at midnight?

2 How many / homes / the storm / destroy?

3 Where / Robert Hensley / hide / when the tornado hit his home?

4 When / he / come out?

5 Who / have a bath / when the
tornado arrived?

will, going to and present continuous

will
We use will to talk about:
general predictions.
By 2100, most people will live to 130.
decisions that are made at the moment of
speaking (e.g. an offer to do something).
A: Is that the telephone?
B: Yes, it is. Ill answer it.
going to
We use going to to talk about:
predictions based on evidence.
Look at that car! Its going to crash!
intentions, or plans, where the decision has
been made before the moment of speaking.
Hes going to study English at Oxford.
Present continuous
We use the present continuous to talk about
future arrangements. We often give the time
and/or place.
Im meeting Anna in town tomorrow.

1 Complete the conversations. Use the correct form of will or going to.
1 Ive decided to go to university.
Really? Which subject you
(study)?
2 Do you think that computers (control) our lives in the future?
No, of course not!
3 Why are you wearing a tracksuit?
I (play) tennis in the park
with David.
4 Its very cold in here.
Yes, youre right. I (close) the window.
5 That woman looks very pale.
Yes, I think she (faint).
6 Why are you turning on the radio?
I (listen) to the news.
7 I cant work out this maths problem.
I (help) you with it.
2 Choose the correct tenses.
1 In a hundred years time I think people will
live / are living on the moon.
2 Who are you meeting / will you meet
this evening?
3 What are you going to wear for the party?
I havent decided yet. Maybe Ill wear /
Im wearing my new jeans.
4 Greg passed his driving test last week. He told me hes going to buy / hell buy a car.
5 I feel terrible. I think Ill be / Im going
to be sick.
6 Where are you going for your summer holidays?
I dont know yet. Perhaps Ill go / Im going to go to Torremolinos.

3 Choose the correct tenses.

Hi Pablo!
How are you? A lot has happened since I last
wrote. The good news is that Ive passed all my
exams, and 1 Ill start / Im starting university in
September. 2 Im going to study / Ill study
Spanish and Catalan at Middlesex University in
London, so 3 Ill be able to / Im being able to
write e-mails in Catalan soon!
Ive also got a new boyfriend called Matthew.
Hes a year older than me and hes really nice.
Next week 4 well go / were going to a Blur
concert in Manchester. Matthew queued for six
hours for the tickets!
Unfortunately 5 Im not seeing / I wont see
Matthew very often after I start university.
6
Ill probably find / Im probably finding a
flat in London, and 7 hell definitely stay / hes
definitely going to stay in Manchester. But
8
were seeing / well see each other at weekends.
9
Are you coming / Will you come and visit me
in London? I hope so.
Love
Clare
Future perfect simple and future continuous
Future perfect simple and future
continuous
Use
We use the future perfect simple to talk about an
activity that will be finished by a specific time in
the future.
Theyll have finished building the bridge by
next January.
We use the future continuous to talk about an
activity that will be in progress at a specific time
in the future.
This time next week Ill be flying to Rome.
Form
Future perfect simple: we use will + have/has +
past participle.
Ill have finished my homework in an hour.
Future continuous: we use will + be + the -ing
form of the verb.
In an hour, Ill be getting ready to go out.
1 Complete the sentences. Use the correct
form of the future perfect simple or the
future continuous.
1 This time next week we (ski) the first spaceship to venture into outer
in the French Alps.
2 Greg is taking a year off to travel. By the
end of next year he (visit) 3 Complete the sentences with your own
seven countries.
3 What will you be doing this time tomorrow?
I (take) my English exam.
4 Dont come round at six oclock. I
(still / do) my homework.
If you want to come round at seven, you can.
I (finish) it by then.
5 Jill has accepted a job abroad. This time next
month she (work) in Paris.
6 Next year, I (live) in this
house for ten years.
2 Complete the text. Use the correct form of
the future perfect simple or future
continuous.
What 1 we (do)
in a hundred years time? According to
NASA Scientists we 2 (travel)
in outer space. By the twenty-second
century man 3 (develop) a
quick way of getting to the stars, and the
first long-distance spaceships 4
(leave) Earth.
However, these spaceships wont be the
first to explore outer space. Other
spaceships 5 (already / voyage)
into the unknown. In fact, the first
unmanned ship, Pioneer 10, was launched
in 1972. Pioneer 10 will be in space for
thousands of years, and in 32,000 years
time it will pass a star called Ross 248. By
the time Pioneer 10 gets there, man
6
(already / reach) Ross 248
and 7 (colonize) the planets
around it. What 8 these
humans (do) when Pioneer 10
passes by? Will they remember that it was
space?
ideas.
1 This time tomorrow Ill be
2 By next weekend Ill have
3 In six months time Ill be
4 By the end of this year Ill have
5 In three years time Ill be
 5 have published
Present simple and present continuous 6 have been publishing
1 1 doesnt often go
2 Do you know 3 1 has wanted
3 are you listening to 2 s been travelling
4 works 3 s visited
5 rises 4 s already been
6 dont like; m not getting 5 ve never been
7 are going 6 has he bought
7 ve been eating
2 1 is 8 has met
2 lives 9 ve made
3 finishes 10 ve exchanged
4 goes 11 ve also been writing
5 is looking out of 12 havent finished
6 watches
7 isnt sitting Prepositions of time
8 s 1 1 since 4 for
9 s reading 2 for 5 ago
10 s got 3 ago
11 s wearing
12 Do I know 2 1 for 4 for
13 dont think 2 during 5 for
3 during
31 What are you doing next weekend?
2 How often do you go to the cinema? 31 until 5 by
3 What time do you usually get up? 2 By 6 until
4 What are you wearing today? 3 until 7 By
4 by 8 until
Present perfect simple and past simple
1 1 already 4 since 4 1 ago 4 for
2 ever 5 since 2 Since 5 By
3 yet 6 just 3 during 6 until

2 1 hit Past simple and past continuous

2 have already lost 1 1 was lying 6 got up
3 handed in 2 was blowing 7 switched on
4 has risen 3 was raining 8 was ticking
5 increased 4 heard 9 was walking
5 came 10 noticed
31 Have you ever dreamed 8 got
2 starred 9 wasnt 21 was watching; rang
3 appeared 10 became 2 was wearing; met
4 hasnt stopped 11 began 3 fell; was doing
5 s been 12 has been 4 was singing; went out
6 s worked 13 s already made 5 started; were walking
7 was 14 has just started
3 1 were searching
4 1 How old was he when he first appeared on TV? 2 hit
2 Has he ever met Robert De Niro? 3 injured
3 How long has he been an actor? 4 was hiding
4 Was he famous before Titanic? 5 destroyed
5 How many films has he made since Titanic? 6 didnt come out
Present perfect continuous 7 didnt recognize
1 1 has he been playing 8 was having
2 ve been repairing 9 heard
3 Has he been fighting 10 put on
4 s been watching 11 escaped
5 s been revising 12 was running
6 have you been doing; ve been looking for 13 struck
14 was
21 has directed
2 has been working on 4 1 What were the rescue teams doing at midnight?
3 has been designing 2 How many homes did the storm destroy?
4 has designed
 3 Where was Robert Hensley hiding when the tornado
hit his home?
4 When did he come out?
5 Who was having a bath when the tornado arrived?

will, going to and present continuous

1 1 are you going to study
2 will control
3 m going to play
4 ll close
5 s going to faint
6 m going to listen
7 ll help

21 will live
2 are you meeting
3 ll wear
4 hes going to buy
5 Im going to be
6 Ill go

31 Im starting
2 Im going to study
3 Ill be able to
4 were going
5 I wont see
6 Ill probably find
7 hes definitely going to stay
8 well see
9 Will you come

Future perfect simple and future continuous

1 1 ll be skiing
2 ll have visited
3 ll be taking
4 ll still be doing; ll have finished
5 ll be working
6 ll have lived

21 will we be doing
2 ll be travelling
3 will have developed
4 will be leaving
5 will have already voyaged
6 will have already reached
7 will have colonized
8 will these humans be doing

3 Students own answers