English Grammar in Use
English Grammar in Use
English Grammar in Use
A. Compare:
Present continuous (I am doing)
We use the continuous for things happeing at around the time of speaking. The action is not
complete.
I am doing = past, now, and future
We use the continuous for temporary situations (things that continue for a short time)
We use the simple for things in general or things that happen repeatedly.
We use the simple for permanent situatuins (things that continue for a long time).
- My parents live in London. They have lived there all their lives.
- Joe isn’t lazy. He works hard most of the time.
For Example:
I’m always losing them = I lose them too often, or more often than normal.
- Paul is never satisfied. He’s always complaining. (He complains too much)
- You’re always looking at your phone. Don’t you have abything else to do?
Exercises
1.1 Are the underline verbs OK? Correct them where necessary.
1. Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. (OK)
2. How often are you going to the cinema? (Do you go)
3. Ben tries to find a job, but he hasn’t had any luck yet (is trying to find a jow)
4. Martina is phoning her mother everyday (phones)
5. The moon goes round the earth in about 27 days (OK)
6. Can you hear those people? What they do talk about? (What are they talking about?)
7. What do you do in your spare time? (OK)
8. Sarah is a vegetarian. She doesn’t eat meat (OK)
9. I must go now. It gets late (It’s getting late)
10. ‘Come on! It’s time to leave’, ‘OK, I come’ (I’m coming)
11. Paul is never late. He’s always starting work on time (He always starts)
12. They don’t get on well. They’re always arguing (OK)
3.2 Put the verb into correct form, present continuous or present simple
3.3 Put the verb iti the correct form, present continuous or present simple
1. Why are all this people here? What’s happening?
2. Julia is good at language. She speaks four languages very well.
3. Are you ready yet? Everybody is waiting for you
4. I’ve never heard this word. How do you pronounce it?
5. Kate is not working this week. She is on holiday.
6. I think my English is improving slowly. It’s better than it was.
7. Nicola lives in manchaster. She has never lived anywhere else.
8. Can we stop walking soon? I’m starting to get tired
9. Sam and Tina are in Madrid right now. They are visiting a friend of theirs.
10. What does your father do? ‘He is an architech.
11. It tool me an hour to work this morning. Most days it doesn’t take so long
12. I’m learning to drive. My driving test is next mounth. My father is theaching me.