Grammar: Present Simple and Progressive

Exceptions when adding 's' :
▪ Do not add s to modal verbs: he
can, she may, it must
▪ After o, ch, sh or s, add es: do -
does, wash – washes
▪ Final y becomes ie after a
consonant: worry - worries (but:
play - plays)
Exceptions when adding 'ing' :
▪ Drop the silent e (not for -ee): come -
coming but: agree - agreeing
▪ Double the final consonant after a
short, stressed vowel: sit - sitting
▪ After a vowel, the final consonant l is
doubled in British English: travel -
travelling, but not in American English
▪ Final ie becomes y: lie - lying
Exceptions in tense:
▪ the following verbs are
usually only used in Simple
Present: state, possession,
senses, feelings, cognitive
process, introductory
clauses for direct speech

Grammar Exercises
1) Explain the use of present simple and progressive in the following paragraph.
The town officials wish1 to improve public transport and they are holding2 a public forum over the weekend to
inform the citizens about the improvement plan. “Traffic represents3 a big problem in modern cities and towns.
We want4 residents to have facts, so they can5 make an informed decision when they vote,” says the mayor.
Hundreds of citizens have visited the forum, and many are still coming6. The officials and the experts say the
citizens are asking7 many questions and making8 some interesting propositions.
The forum opens9 at 9AM, and closes10 at 6PM, on both days. It is organized as a come-and-go event so people
can11 come at their convenience. The street is temporarily closed for traffic, and the police are controlling12 the
traffic to ensure a smooth flow.

1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
9. 10.
11. 12.

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2) Translate the following sentences from Croatian into English
1. Inženjeri proučavaju moguće nove načine prijevoza jer žele unaprijediti javni prijevoz, kao i cestovni i
željeznički promet u gradovima.

2. Njihov cilj je izbjeći prometne zastoje, zagušenje i zagađivanje te povećati sigurnost sudionika u prometu.

3. Promet u gradskom centru kao i parkirališni prostor predstavljaju dodatni problem.

4. Jedno od rješenja jest podzemna željeznica koja postoji ili se pak proširuje u mnogim gradovima u svijetu.

5. Cestovne prometnice više nisu isključivo na jednoj razini, već postoje podvožnjaci i nadvožnjaci te tuneli.

Grammar: Past Simple and Progressive

regular: verb-ed
was/were + verb-ing
irregular: 2nd form

finished actions unfinished action

PAST PAST
SIMPLE actions happening PROGRESSIVE
one after another parallel actions

short action that interrupts action in progress interrupted by

an action in progress another short action

Exceptions when adding 's' :

▪ when the final letter is e, only add d. (love – loved)
▪ after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled (admit – admitted)
▪ final l is always doubled in British English, but not in American English ( travel – travelled)
▪ final y becomes i after a consonant, but not after a vowel (worry – worried, but play – played)

Exceptions when adding 'ing' :

▪ Drop the silent e (not for -ee): come - coming but: agree - agreeing
▪ Double the final consonant after a short, stressed vowel: sit - sitting
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▪ After a vowel, the final consonant l is doubled in British English: travel - travelling, but not in American English
▪ Final ie becomes y: lie - lying

Exceptions in tense:
▪ the following verbs are usually only used in Simple Past: state, possession, senses, feelings, cognitive process,
introductory clauses for direct speech
Irregular verbs mind map

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Grammar Exercises
1) Read the three news articles about drunk driving and circle all past simple and past
progressive forms. Explain the use of the forms you found.
TRAFFIC REPORT
'MELROSE PLACE' ACTRESS GETS 3
YEARS FOR DEADLY CRASH
'MELROSE PLACE' ACTRESS GETS 3 YEARS
FOR DEADLY CRASH
SOMERVILLE -- A former "Melrose Place"
actress who was drunk when her SUV
plowed into a car and killed a woman
was sentenced Thursday to three years
in prison, infuriating the victim's
relatives, who had hoped for the 10-year
maximum.
Prosecutors say she was driving with a
blood-alcohol level nearly three times
the legal limit when her SUV slammed
into a Mercury Milan driven by Fred
Seeman as he was turning into his
driveway. Fred Seeman's wife, Helene,
was killed, and he was seriously injured.
During the trial, the defense argued that
Fred Seeman was making a slow turn,
which contributed to the crash. They
claimed it was an accident, not a crime.
The defense also shifted blame to a third
motorist who they say distracted the
actress as he was honking at her and
chasing her after being rear-ended. They
said this is why she was driving 20 miles
over the speed limit on a dark two-lane
road.
The defense went into detail about how
her sick child was deteriorating since the
actress' incarceration. Judge Robert Reed
said that he had no sympathy for the
actress but that the children should not
suffer even more because of her actions
and lowered the maximum sentence.
The family said after the sentencing that
the decision was a "mockery" and only
added to the suffering they've endured
since the accident. "What's one more
punch in the gut?" Ford Seeman said.
HANDCUFFED DWI SUSPECT ESCAPES
FROM COP CAR ON LONG ISLAND
BELLPORT (WABC) -- Police on Long Island
recaptured a man who they say fled authorities
after he was arrested for drunk driving. The
officers took Matthew Sabo, 30, into custody at
the scene of a serious motorcycle accident in
Bellport late Monday night. He apparently tried
to drive around the police flares and cones that
blocked off the accident scene. The officers
stopped the vehicle, and Sabo failed a sobriety
test. They left him alone in the police cruiser
while they were trying to get another alleged
drunk driver who tried to navigate the accident
scene. Sabo managed to escape the car and
run into a wooded area, handcuffs and all.
After an hour-long search, an officer and police
dog tracked Sabo down. He is charged with
escape and driving while intoxicated. The
authorities also arrested the driver of the
second vehicle and charged him with driving
while intoxicated.
LONG ISLAND GRANDMOTHER CHARGED
WITH DWI
WYANDANCH, L.I. (WABC) -- A Long Island
grandmother was arrested for driving while
intoxicated with two children in the car.
Police arrested 64-year old Mary Kimbrough
Friday night in Commack. An officer heard a
loud noise that was coming from her vehicle,
stopped the car and noticed that her left front
tire was missing, and the car was riding on the
metal rim.
Police say Kimbrough was driving while
intoxicated, and was placed under arrest.
Two children, ages 9 and 11, were with her in
the car. Police say they were upset and
frightened, and were using a cell phone, and
trying to call relatives for help before the
vehicle being stopped.
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Copyright ©2013 WABC-TV/DT; Taken and adapted from: http://abclocal.go.com

2)Write a short news report like the ones above using the following witness statement.
Statement of Jane Green
I, Jane Green, of 35 King Street, Croydon Park NSW 2133, state:
1. On 1 December 2010 at about 3:30pm, I was getting into my car in the car park next to the shops on
Main Road.
2. I noticed that a black car was driving down the aisle behind me.
3. I saw a blue Volvo reverse out of a car space and collide with a black car. The black car was moving at
the time of the collision.
4. My car was parked opposite where the accident happened.
5. Both the drivers got out of their cars. Neither of them seemed to be hurt and I went over to them to see
how they were. When I came close to them, I noticed that the driver of the black car smelled of alcohol,
but did not seem drunk otherwise.
6. The driver of the blue car said “Did you see the accident?” I said “I saw it”. He then said “Can you give
me your contact details; I might need a statement from you”. I replied “Yes” and gave him my contact
details.
7. It was a sunny day.
8. The speed limit in the car park was 20km per hour. The black car was travelling at about 40km per hour.
9. I noticed damage to the back left side of the blue Volvo.
10. I believe that the contents of this statement are true and correct.
Signed: J. Green
Dated: 5 December 2010

3) Translate the following news report into English.

Pijan je vozio 27 kilometara u krivom smjeru na autocesti A2
Vozač (54) koji je u petak navečer vozio krivim smjerom autocestom A2 Zagreb-Macelj imao je 2,09 promila
alkohola u krvi, izvijestila je policija.
Policiji je oko 20.30 sati dojavljeno da se osobni automobil kreće od čvora Sveti Križ - Začretje prema naplatnim
postajama Zaprešić na autocesti A2 u suprotnom smjeru, gdje je naposljetku i zaustavljen. Hrvatski autoklub
objavio je upozorenje za vozače te ga objavio i na svojoj službenoj Facebook stranici.
Pijani 54-godišnjak je uhićen te je zadržan do jutra, nakon čega je odveden na Prekršajni sud u Zaboku.
source: http://www.24sata.hr/crna-kronika-news/pijan-je-vozio-27-kilometara-u-krivom-smjeru-na-autocesti-a2-391628