PRESENT SIMPLE VS PRESENT CONTINUOUS 2009 ABRIL.doc

PRESENT SIMPLE vs PRESENT CONTINUOUS

1.       Fill in  the blanks with the Present Continuous of the verbs in brackets:

• I think Mark ________ (sleep) while he  ________ ((listen) to radio.
• My friends ________(not study) they  ________(watch) TV.
• Today is a lovely day. The sun  ________(shine), the birds  ________(sing) and I  ________ (feel) very well.
• It  ________ (not rain) but the sky  ________ (get) grey.
• My mother  ________ (shop) while my father  ________ (repair) his car.
• The kids  ________ (play) football at the moment.

2.       Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the Present Simple:

• Mary ________ (go) to the bathroom and ________(wash) her face.
• ________ she ________ dinner for her and her mother? (prepare)
• Every day Mary ________ (take) her dog for a walk in the park.
• ________ they ________ for a walk in the park near their house? (go)
• Mary´s grandmother sometimes ________(get) lost in Lisbon.
• Mary´s friends ________ (like) her dog very much and they ________(have) a lot of fun together.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

                PRESENT SIMPLE

We use the present continuous to talk about:

· Current activities - I´m travelling by train.

· Temporary situations.- They´re living in Lisbon for a year.

· Planned future arrangements. - I´m meeting Mary in five minutes.

We use the present simple to talk about:

· Personal information  -  I live in Lisbon

· General st5atements of true.— The sun rises in the east.

· Permanent situations - They live in  Paris.

· Routines and habits - I usually get up at 7 o´clock.

· Fixed time tables and schedules. - The film starts at eleven.

· Details of fixed future plans. - We leave Lisbon at 9  p.m. on Tuesday.

4. Change the sentences into the present Continuous where possible.

• He teaches English .
• ______________________________________________.
• Do you watch television?
• ______________________________________________.
• I hate this fish. It smells.
• ______________________________________________.
• I suppose she wants a new bike.
• ______________________________________________.
• We prefer to live in the country.
• ______________________________________________.
• We have dinner at 8 p.m.
• ______________________________________________.
• That music sounds good to me .
• ­______________________________________________.

3.       Use either the Simple Present or the Present continuous:

• Mary can´t answer the phone because she ________ (have) a shower.
• Mary ________ (wash) her hair everyday.
• Mary´s grandmother usually ________(call) early.
• I ________ (try) to connect my computer.
• I sent a message to Ann last month and I ________ (still/wait) for her reply.
• After tree months of draught, I´m glad it ________(now/rain) so heavily.
• Look! It ________ ! (snow) It never ________(snow) in our town.