GRAMMAR PRACTICE.

An 1B, 2B (REVIEW)

PRESENT TENSES Seminar instructor: Elena Lăcătuș

PRESENT TENSES: SIMPLE AND
CONTINUOUS
Present tense simple refers to:
1) general truths (facts that are always true)
The sun rises in the east.
2) habbits:
British people drink a lot of tea.
3) states:
A. Mike is very tall for a 15 year old.
B. I don’t like rap music.
4) declaratives:
A. I hope you will come to my birthday party.
B. I bet you don’t know the answer.
5) newspaper headlines:
A. ship sinks in midnight collision.
B. President Kennedy is shot in Dallas.
6) narrative present in summaries and historical texts:
World War 2 ends in 1945.
The war in Vietnam comes to an end.
At the end of the play both families realise that ...
7) itineraries, descriptions of travel arragements, timetables:
The last bus to Woodstock leaves at 5:00 p.m.
On day three we visit the history museum.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
The uses/ values:
1. Temporary actions which are in
progress at the moment.
a. I am staying at a hotel right now.
b. She is eating a piece of cake.
2. events that are generally in progress
but they are not happening now at ST.
a. I’m learning to drive. (I am not actually
driving right now, as we speaking. But I am
taking classes over a certain period of time.)
!! States do not usually have a continuous
form because they may describe somethinge
permanent: e.g: be tall, be thin, consist,
contain, have, know, mean, believe, (be
the)matter, understand, prefer.
*I am preferring vanilla ice cream instead of
chocolate one. // I prefe vanilla ice cream [...].
*I am knowing what you mean. // I know what
you mean.
Some verbs have a different meaning when used
in the present tense simple as opposed to the
present continuous. These are: depend, have,
feel.
PRESENT SIMPLE VS.
CONTINUOUS
[Verbs which change their meaning]
(1)a. He has a fast American muscle car.
b. We are having an interesting discussion.
(2) a. I feel that you are wrong.
 b. I am feeling sick. I think I will lie down.
 I am depending on you.
 It depends on how much money you want to spend.
 I think I like him. [Cred că îl plac.]
 She is thinking about getting a new job. [Se gândește
să .....]
Other uses of the present continuous:
1. habitual actions.
a. I am taking the bus these days because my car broke
down.
b. Tell me. Are you enjoying your stay here?
2. Frame present continuous: As I am walking down the
street
3. issuing a complaint
a.Things are getting much worse. // b. You are always
complaining about the noisy neighbours, but you never do
anything about it.
4. describing development (events that are ongoing):
a. More and more people are giving up smoking.
b. More and more people are having regular tests.
VERBS WHICH CHANGE THEIR
INTERPRETATION WHEN USED IN THE
PROGRESSIVE. (VERBS NOT USED IN THE
PROGRESSIVE)
Different interpretation: 2. Verbs of congnition: consider, believe, expect,
think, hope, imagine, understand, suppose, know.
1.Verbs of perception: see, hear, smell, feel, taste, sound,
look, appear. A. I think he is a kind man. (= my opinion)
A. I see what you mean. // I am seeing him tonight. / I am seeing B. I am thinking of a new way to solve this. Maybe
the manager tomorrow. (=I am meeting him by appointment.) // I’ll we good build the tree in a different way.
see you to the door. (= accompany you).

B. I hear music. Someone is inside. // You will be hearing from
him soon (= You get news from him.)
C. I smell gas. Quick, open the window! // He is smelling the
flowers he planted.
D. He appears to he asleep. [He seems to be asleep.]// The actor
appears on stage looking drunk.
E. You are looking better today. [temporary state]//
He is looking at her with contempt. // You look great tonight.
C. I am expencting a letter from them. (= I am waiting
to receive a letter). // She is expecting her first baby.
(= She is pregnant.)
D. I expect he’ll arrive later. (= I think he ....)
E. I don’t consider it wise to sell your stock now.
(=It’s my opinion that you shouldn’t sell your stock.)
// I am considering buying a new house for us. (= I am
thinking of....)
VERBS NOT USED IN THE
PROGRESSIVE
3. Achievement verbs: achieve, realize, forget, 5. Verbs of having and being: have, be, belong,
notice, recognize cost, consist, depend on, deserve, hold.
4. Attitudinal verbs: like, loathe, hate, love, hate, You are being rude, Michael. (=Temporary state)
dislike, prefer, want, wish, refuse, reget.
How much does this book cost?
* I am regretting this. / I regret this.
Good clothes are costing more these days.
mind => progressive form:
This glass bottle holds 2 litres. (=contains)
Who is mindinng the baby? (= take care of)
I’m holding the bottle in my hand. /A: He is
I don’t mind people smoking around me. // Do falling!Help him. B: Don’t worry. He is holding
you mind if I smoke? No, not at all. (= Do you onto the ropes (the bannister).
have any objection if ...)
VERBS WHICH CHANGE THEIR INTERPRETATION WHEN
USED IN THE PROGRESSIVE.

Verbs of perception are not used in the progressive 5. ‘How.... your wife..... right now’? ‘She .....
because they refer to actions of the senses which much better. Thank you for asking!’
are involuntary. Speakers use perception verbs with
other meanings to express a voluntary use of their 6. ‘What are you doing’? ‘I .... (smell) this meat
senses, then these verbs are used in the progressive. to see if it spoiled.’
Activity: 7. I .... Something burning.
Given the above, fill in the blanks with the appropriate
verb form:
1. Tom ..... this man every day on the way to school.
2. I .... voices. There is someone at the door.
3. I .... cold air. Please, close the window.
4. Your cooking always...... great.
PRESENT TENSES: SIMPLE AND
CONTINUOUS.
ACTIVITIES
1. Choose the correct variant:
a)A: I haven't decided yet about whether to
buy a new car or a second hand one. But I
am thinking about it/I think about it. B: Give
me a call once you decide. A: All right I
will.
b) You try to fix the TV! But I hope / I am
hoping you know what you are doing!
c) Every year I visit/I'm visiting
Britain to improve my English.
d) It's time we turned on the central
heating. It gets/It’s getting colder every day.
e) Of course, you're Mary, aren't you! I
recognise/I am recognising you now.
f) What’s the matter? Why are you looking
at me / do you look at me like that?
g) This film is very long. It lasts / it is
lasting over 2 hours.
h) I’m going to buy a new swim suit
(swimming costume). My old one isn’t
fitting/ doesn’t fit anymore.
i) That was the ending of the first part of the
performance. I wonder what is happening/
what happens now?
m) I can see that your mornings are very
busy. But what do you do/ what are you
doing in the afternoons?
ACTIVITIES

1. Choose the appropriate verb form: 2. Put each verb in the suitable verb
 Who exactly.......? form:
A) does own this car B) does this car belong to A.British people (drink) more and
.......that we have been here for six months already! more wine, apparently.
A) Do you realise B) Are you realising B.I hope Sarah will be here soon. I
I'd like to stay longer. But......just for the (depend) on her.
weekend.
 I comeB) I've come
C. Please be quiet! You(continually
interrupt).
Terry is in bed. He.....flu.
 has B) is having D.Hey, you! What (you think)
you're doing?
ACTIVITIES
3. Identify the possible errors in the sentences below:
a.Excuse me, but do you wait for someone?
2. Put each verb in the suitable verb b.These potatoes are tasting a bit funny.
form: c.How are you feeling today? 

E. Could you come here please? I (want) to D)I look forward to hearing from you.
talk to you now. E)I have a feeling that something goes wrong.

F. Jane is away on holiday so Linda (handle) her F) What's that you're eating?
work.  g)Are you hearing anything from Wendy these days?
G. To be honest, I (doubt) whether Jim will be here i) I think you're being rather mean about this.
next week. L) Is this total including the new students?
h).You've only just started the job, haven't you? How h)I’m depending on you, so don’t make any mistakes!
(you get on)?
 
i. Pay no attention to Graham. He (just be)
sarcastic again.