PRESENT SIMPLE Use it for: PRESENT CONTINUOUS PAST SIMPLE Use it for:

Use it for:
-Habits, routines:
I go to school every day.
-Preferences: She likes milk.
-Always true facts:
The sun rises in the east.
TIME EXPRESSIONS:
-Adverbs of frequency: always/
Usually/often/hardly ever/never
On: On Mondays, on Sundays..
Every: Every (day, Sunday, week,
summer, year…)
-What you are doing now:
I’m eating an apple.
-Temporary activities.
Mary is learning to drive.
TIME EXPRESSIONS:
-Now/right now
-At present/at the moment
-Imperatives. Look! Listen!
-This: I’m learning French this
year
-These: I’m staying with my
sister these days.
Finished actions in the past.
-I went to Paris last summer.
-She visited Tom yesterday.
-She didn’t visit Ann yesterday
TIME EXPRESSIONS:
-Yesterday
-Ago: ten minutes ago, four
weeks ago, ten year ago, etc.
-Last: last Friday, last week, last
month, last year, etc.

EXERCISE 1 Fill the gaps using: present simple/present continuous/past simple. Match the pictures.

1-She ______ (not be) at the cinema yesterday.
3-Look! It _______________ (snow)
5-Mary ________ (go) to the park yesterday.
7-Tim _________ (not read) a book last month.
9-Listen!Somebody ___________ (sing)
11-Mum _______ (make) a cake every Sunday.
13-I ______________ (not smile). I’m crying.
15-That woman never _______ (watch) TV.
17-We _________ (not take) the bus yesterday.
2-I ____________ (play)tennis now.
4-It often _________ (rain) in Scotland.
6-Carol ___________ (not like) coffee.
8-I ________ (eat)a sandwich last night.
10-We _________(drink) tea. Try some!
12-Tina ___________ (not like) peas.
14-He _______ (phone) me two days ago.
16-They ___________ (dancing) now.
18-Rob ________(miss)the train last night.

EXERCISE 2 Fill the gaps with the verbs in brackets. Put them in the correct tense.

I don’t usually ______ (go) to the cinema but yesterday I ______ (go) to see a film. It _____
(be) fantastic. I ________ (cry) a little because the film _______ (be)very romantic.
Melissa ______ (be) with me. She never _________ (cry) at the cinema so she _________
(not cry) yesterday but she also ___________ (enjoy) the film very much.
Now I _________ (write) to my friend Peter to tell him about it. Peter usually _______ (live)
here in London, like me but this week he __________ (live) in Bristol with her aunt because
his parents ________ (be) in Italy. They ________ (go) there last week on business. Peter is
one of my best friends. He _______ (be) fourteen years old and we go to the same school.
Last summer Melissa, Peter and I ________ (go) to Amsterdam on holiday for a week. We
really ________ (have) a nice time there. We __________ (visit) lots of interesting places.
We _________ (not stay) in a hotel. We ________ (stay) at my uncle’s house. His name is
George. He _____ (be) an engineer. He is always very busy but that week he _______ (be)
on holidays and he ________ (take) good care of us. He _______ (show) us the city and we
________ (like) it very much. I must study now. I _______________ (learn) French this year
as I would like to _________ (visit) Paris next summer.

KEY

EXERCISE ONE

Pictures

8 7 6 13 16 4 14 10 1

2 5 15 11 17 9 18 12 3

1-She wasn’t (not be) at the cinema yesterday.
3-Look! It is snowing (snow)
5-Mary went (go) to the park yesterday.
7-Tim didn’t read (not read) a book last month.
9-Listen!Somebody is singing (sing)
11-Mum makes (make) a cake every Sunday.
13-I am not smiling (not smile). I’m crying.
15-That woman never watches (watch) TV.
17-We didn’t take (not take) the bus yesterday.
2-I am not playing (play)tennis now.
4-It often rains (rain) in Scotland.
6-Carol doesn’t like (not like) coffee.
8-I ate (eat)a sandwich last night.
10-We are drinking (drink) tea. Try some!
12-Tina doesn’t like (not like) peas.
14-He phoned (phone) me two days ago.
16-They are dancing (dancing) now.
18-Rob missed (miss)the train last night

EXERCISE 2 Fill the gaps with the verbs in brackets. Put them in the correct tense.

I don’t usually go (go) to the cinema but yesterday I went (go) to see a film. It was (be)
fantastic. I cried (cry) a little because the film was (be) very romantic.
Melissa was (be) with me. She never cries (cry) at the cinema so she didn’t cry (not cry)
yesterday but she also enjoyed (enjoy) the film very much.
Now I am writing (write) to my friend Peter to tell him about it. Peter usually lives (live)
here in London, like me but this week he is living (live) in Bristol with her aunt because his
parents are (be) in Italy. They went (go) there last week on business. Peter is one of my
best friends. He is (be) fourteen years old and we go to the same school.
Last summer Melissa, Peter and I went (go) to Amsterdam on holiday for a week. We really
had (have) a nice time there. We visited (visit) lots of interesting places.
We didn’t stay (not stay) in a hotel. We stayed (stay) at my uncle’s house. His name is
George. He is (be) an engineer. He is always very busy but that week he was (be) on
holidays and he took (take) good care of us. He showed (show) us the city and we liked
(like) it very much. I must study now. I am learning (learn) French this year as I would like
to visit (visit) Paris next summer.