Grammar revision:

Present simple and present continuous

1. Choose the correct form to complete the sentences.

1. I love / am loving this CD. It sounds great.
2. They buy / are buying new clothes every two months.
3. I don’t study / am not studying French this year.
4. The English drink / are drinking a lot of tea.
5. I wear / am wearing my new jacket. Do you like it?
6. You’re so negative! You always complain / are always complaining about
everything.
7. When does the new term start / is the new term starting?
8. Then suddenly the man escapes / is escaping by jumping from the car.

2. Complete the conversation with the present simple and present

continuous of these verbs.

always buy be cook do go look for

not like not rain start still put on

1. “You _____________ to the gym a lot this summer.”

“I _____________ lots of exercise every summer!”
2. “You don’t need a coat. It _____________ .
“I’d better take one. English weather ____________ very changeable.
3. “I ______________ some pasta. Do you want some?”
“no thanks. I __________ pasta.”
4. “Jim has gone shopping. He ___________ some clothes.”
“He ___________ clothes! He hardly ever wears most of them!”

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 5. “I’m not ready yet. I _____________ my make-up.”
“Well, hurry up. The fashion show __________ at 6 o’clock.

3. Complete the sentences with the present simple or present continuous of

the verbs in brackets.

1. A) Jason ______________ (have) a shower. He’ll call you back.

B) Jason ______________ (not have) any children.
2. A) ____________ (you/think) that purple jeans will ever be fashionable?
B) ____________ (think) about going to the fashion show next week?
3. A) It ____________ (look) as if it’s going to rain.
B) That boy __________ (look) at you!
4. A) Behave yourself! You ___________ (be) silly again.
B) Mary has changed. She ___________ (be) more fashion conscious now.
5. A) Mmm, this sauce _____________ (taste) really nice.
B) I ____________ (just/taste) the sauce to see if it has enough salt.

4. Choose the correct form to complete the dialogue.

Jenny: I 1) work/am working in Soundbites this summer.
Pat: Where?
Jenny: In that new music shop that 2) open/is opening until 10 o’clock at
night.
Pat: Oh yeah. I 3) know/am knowing the place. I’ve heard they
4) pay/are paying really well. 5) Do you like/ Are you liking it there?
Jenny: Yeah, I 6) have/am having a great time. My workmates 7) are/are
being really funny.
Pat: Do you have to wear smart clothes?
Jenny: No, just clean casual clothes, like the stuff I 8) wear/am wearing
now. My mum 9) always tells/is always telling me to dress more
smartly but my boss 10) doesn’t seem/ isn’t seeming to mind.

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 5. Complete the article with the present simple or present continuous of
these verbs. You will need to use some verbs more than once.

become begin always tell do dress enjoy listen

not think not want not work prefer read wear

Model Sammy Barnes answers our reader’s question:

Do you always wear smart clothes?

Well, when I’ve got a photo session or a fashion show, I always 1) __________
really smartly. But when I 2) _________, I 3) ____________ to wear really
ordinary clothes. Today, for example, I 4) ________ blue jeans with a plain white
T-shirt.

What do you do in your free time?

Well, I 5) ____________ reading and listening to music. At the moment I 6)

____________ the latest novel by Dan Brown. I 7) _________ to pop and rock
music mostly, but I 8) _________ more interested in jazz and blues. I also 9)
___________ a bit of painting from time to time, abstract art mainly. My mum
10) __________ me I should try and become a professional painter, but 11)
__________ I’m good enough.

Do you enjoy working as a model?

Well, I 12) ____________ it at the moment, but I 13) ___________ to do it

for ever. I 14) ____________ to get a bit tired of having to travel so much.

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 6. Complete the text with one word which best fits each gap.

Dear Phil;

I am 1) ______________ to you for advice because my taste in clothes is causing me loads of

problems 2) __________ the moment. I love wearing torn jeans and shirts but my mum really
3) _____________ them and is 4) ______________ telling me to buy some ‘decent clothes’. I can’t
see why she finds my clothes 5) ____________ offensive. After all, they’re perfectly clean.
They’ve got a few holes in them, that’s all.

I 6) __________ also having some problems at the café where I work 7)____________ the weekend.
My boss says I’m definitely going to lose my job if I don’t dress 8) ___________ smartly. I
really don’t fancy losing my job either. On the other hand, I 11) __________ I should be allowed
to wear what I want. What 12)____________ you think I should do?

Andy

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Key:
1. 1.love 2.buy 3.am not studying 4.drink 5.am wearing 6.are always
complaining 7.does the new term start 8.escapes
2. 1.are/’re going, do 2.isn’t raining, is 3.am/’m cooking, don’t like
4.is/’s looking for, is/’s always buying 5.am/’m still putting on, starts
3. 1.a) is having b) doesn’t have
2.a) do you drink b) am thinking
3.a) looks b) is looking
4.a) are being b) is
5.a) tastes b) am just tasting

4. 1.am working 2.opens 3.know 4.pay 5.do you like 6.have 7.are

8.am wearing 9.is always telling me 10.doesn’t seem

5. 1.dress 2.am not working 3.prefer 4.am wearing 5.enjoy 6.am reading

7.listen 8.am becoming 9.do 10.is always telling 11.don’t think

12.am enjoying 13.don’t want 14.am beginning

6. 1.writing 2.at 3.hates/dislikes 4.always 5.so 6.am 7.at 8.more

9.what 10.want 11.think 12.do

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