Simple Present / Present Continuous

I. 1. Every Monday, Sally (drive) ____________her kids to football practice.

2. Usually, I (work) ______________as a secretary at ABT, but this summer I (study)

_____________French at a language school in Paris. That is why I am in Paris.

3. Shhhhh! Be quiet! John (sleep) _______________.

4. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It (rain) _______________.

5. I hate living in Seattle because it (rain, always) _______________.

6. I'm sorry I can't hear what you (say) ______________because everybody (talk) _________so
loudly.

7. Justin (write, currently) ________________a book about his adventures in Tibet. I hope he can
find a good publisher when he is finished.

8. A: Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?

    B: Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. I (go) ______________to a movie tonight with some friends.

9. The business cards (be, normally ) _____________printed by a company in New York. Their
prices (be) _________________inexpensive, yet the quality of their work is quite good.

10. This delicious chocolate (be) _______________made by a small chocolatier in Zurich,

Switzerland.

Simple Present / Present Continuous

II.
A Trekking Journal

November 12, 1997

Today (be) ______________the second day of my trek around Mount Annapurna. I am exhausted
and my legs (shake) ___________; I just hope I am able to complete the trek. My feet (kill, really)
__________me and my toes (bleed) ____________, but I (want, still) ______________to
continue.

Nepal is a fascinating country, but I have a great deal to learn. Everything (be) ____________so
different, and I (try) ______________to adapt to the new way of life here. I (learn) __________a
little bit of the language to make communication easier; unfortunately, I (learn, not)
____________foreign languages quickly. Although I (understand, not) ______________much yet,
I believe that I (improve, gradually) _______________.

I (travel, currently) ______________with Liam, a student from Leeds University in England. He

(be) _______________a nice guy, but impatient. He (walk, always) _____________ahead of me
and (complain) ___________that I am too slow. I (do) _______________my best to keep up with
him, but he is younger and stronger than I am. Maybe, I am just feeling sorry for myself because I
am getting old.
Right now, Liam (sit) ______________with the owner of the inn. They (discuss)
______________the differences between life in England and life in Nepal. I (know, not)
_______________the real name of the owner, but everybody (call, just) ___________him Tam.
Tam (speak) ______________English very well and he (try) _______________to teach Liam
some words in Nepali. Every time Tam (say) ________________a new word, Liam (try)
______________to repeat it. Unfortunately, Liam (seem, also) ________________to have
difficulty learning foreign languages. I just hope we don't get lost and have to ask for directions.

III. Fill out all the gaps

0. It _________________ I think it's broken. (not, work)

1. _______________ at the moment? (it, rain)

2. I __________________ lunch in the cafeteria every day (have, I)

3. Sheila __________________ reading books (love)

4. I _________________ dinner tonight. Would you like to come? (cook)

5. I ______________ him because he talks too much (not, like)

6. Has she been crying? She _________________ too good (not, look)

7. Have we met? You ______________familiar (look)

8. What __________________ ?A: I'm a dentist (you,do)

9. What __________________ up there?(you,do)

IV. Change the infinitives in brackets to the most suitable tenses: use the Simple present (I
walk) or Present continuous (I am walking) :
My parents usually ___________home at 7.15 ( come )
Look! Your sister _______________with our friends. ( dance )

Julia always ___________orange juice for breakfast, but she ____________orange juice today and I don´t
know why because there _______________a lot of it in the fridge. ( drink - not drink - be )

My brother usually _______________at half past eight. ( get up )

What _______________now? - I am reading this book, and you? ( do, you )

Next year we ______________all over the world. ( travel )

My mother can _______________the piano and she _______________music very much. ( play - like )

I ______________this difficult lesson now. ( understand )

As you know, Peter, I ________________at night but I have to ______________in two hours so I
_______________anything tonight. ( not drive, usually - drive - not drink )

What a nice and colourful T-shirt he __________________. ( wear )

John and Luc _______________tenis every Monday. ( play )

My parents often __________________to my teachers. ( talk )

It _______________hard at the moment. ( rain )

' Can you help me for a moment? ' - I´m sorry, I ________________'. ( work )

Everyboby _________________that rivers flow to the sea. ( know )

She ________________sports three times a week. ( practise )

Why _____________________a sweater? In fact, it isn´t cold. ( wear, you )

How often ________________her bike? -She _________________it every two years. ( change, she -
change, usually )

________________the difference between present and present continuous tenses? ( understand, you )

She always _________________to work by train, but today she goes with her mother and she
__________________a taxi. ( travel - take )

VI. Fill in the blanks with the correct form (simple present or present progressive) of the verb in
parentheses:

1. "What                 you                       to?" (listen)

"It                         an old Benny Goodman recording." (be)

"Really?  It                       like Duke Ellington." (sound)

2. "Gerry                    tennis." (love)

"Yes, but at the moment he                       because of a sore    elbow." (not play)

3. She usually                      to France, but now she (go)

                     in South America. (travel)

4. Every Sunday he                     his suit to go to church, but today he (put on)
a short-sleeved shirt because of the heat.
(wear)
5. "               you                   his address?" (know)

"Yes, I                     it right here in my pocket." (have)

6. "              that man                   your cousin?" (be)

"No, he                     as tall as my cousin." (not be)

7. "                  you                      something?" (look for)

"Yes, I                       to find my glasses." (try)

8. Hugh                      a lot of money, but he (have)

                     it to anyone. (not lend)

9. The buses                        today, so (not run)

I                  a lift. (need)

10. "             you                         where the boys (know)

                           ?" (hide)

"I                        they are behind the barn." (think)

11. The telephone                            at the moment because the workers (not work)
the lines.
(repair)
12. I                           anything after the accident. (not remember)
13.                 you usually                      a bath or a shower? (take)
14. "             I                        sick, doctor?" (be)
15. I                            to bother you right now if (not want)

you' re eating; I can call back later.