1 Talking About the Present

UNIT I
1. Talking about the Present
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks in the following sentences using the simple present of the verbs suggested in
the brackets.
Example: The old man works eighteen hours a day. (work)
1. How long ______ you ______ at night? (sleep)
2. She ______________ Chinese. (not understand)
3. This train ______ Chennai early in the morning. (reach) But it is usually late by several
hours!
4. “_____ you _______ in men?” one ghost asked another. (believe)
5. At the end of the story, the hero ______ his girlfriend’s best friend. (marry)
6. ____ all oils _____ on water? (float)
7. Which team ____ you _____ will win? (think)
8. Her mother _____ from service at the end of this year. (retire)
9. “How much _____ a kilo of gold _____?” (weigh) “One kilo, you stupid!” “I mean,
how much ____ it _____?” (cost)
10. _____ you _____ learning grammar? (enjoy)
1. do, sleep 2. Does not understand 3. Reaches 4. Do, believe 5. Marries

6. Do, float 7. Do, think 8. Are, shouting 9. Does, weigh, does, cost 10. Do, enjoy
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with correct form of be and suitable verb in -ing form given in the brackets.
Example: Arun is watching a cricket match now.
1. We ____ ________ kabaddi, not hockey.
2. I _____ ______ my homework. Please don’t disturb me!
3. Indu ____ _____ her mother, though her mother wants her out of the kitchen.
4. You _____ not _____ hard enough! There are no prizes for failing, but only for winning.
5. Why _____ you _____ so much noise? You’ll wake up the baby.
6. ____ the children _____? I don’t know.
7. Her cat ____ ______ a sparrow. Stupid cat! He can never catch the bird.
8. Why _____ they _____ at her? She’s not deaf!
9. I _____ not ____ to office today. I have a fever.
10. The old man ____ always _____. He thinks the whole world is against him.
(chase, go, do, grumble, help, make, play, shout, sleep, work)
1. are playing 2. Am doing 3. Is helping 4. Are, working 5. Are, making

6. are, sleeping 7. Is chasing 8. Are, shouting 9. Am, going 10. Is,
grumbling
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks in the following sentences using the present continuous of the verb given in
the bracket.
Here I am sitting (sit) thousands of kilometres from the sun on a rounded rock which ____(spin)
at the rate of 150 kilometres an hour and _____ (roar) through space nobody knows where.
And all around me, whole continents ______ (drift) rootless over the surface of the planet;
India _____ (ram) into the underbelly of Asia, parts of America _____ (slide) off towards China
by way of Alaska.
Is spinning, roaring, are drifting, is ramming, are sliding
Exercise 4
Supply a suitable present tense of the given verb.
1. She (go) to school every day.
2. We (learn) English now.
3. Bad students never (work) hard.
4. He generally (sing) in English but today he (sing) in French.
5. Mother (cook) some food in the kitchen at present; she always (cook) in the mornings.
6. That man in the white hat who (walk) past the window (live) next door.
7. “Where you (go) now?” “I (go) to the theatre.” “I (go) tonight also, but I (not go) very
often.” “I (go) every week, but tonight I (go) for the second time in three days.”
8. Look! A man (run) after the bus. He (want) to catch it.
9. “You (hear) anything?” “I (listen) very hard but I can’t hear anything.”
10. My children (work) very hard. They (prepare) for their examinations now.
1. goes 2. Are learning 3. Work 4. Sings, is singing 5. Is cooking, cooks 6. Is walking, lives 7.
Are you going, am going, am going, do not go, go, am going 8. Is running, wants 9. Do you
hear, am listening 10. Work/are working, are preparing
Exercise 5
Supply the suitable form (Present Perfect / Present Perfect Continuous)
1. He (not be) here since Christmas; I wonder where he (live) since then.
2. I (try) to learn English for years, but I (not succeed) yet.
3. We (live) here for the last six months, and just (decide) to move.
4. That book (lie) on the table for weeks. You (not read) it yet?
5. I (wait) here for her since seven o’clock and she (not come) yet.
6. He (not have) a holiday for nine years because he (be) too busy.
7. He (write) a novel for the last two years, but he (not finish) it yet.
8. You ever (see) a live rhinoceros? You just (look) at the picture of one I shot in Africa
last year.
9. She (read) all the works of Dickens and Scott. How many you (read)?
10. I (sit) for my portrait for the last six months, but the artist (not finish) it yet.
1. has not been, has been living 2. Have been trying, have not succeeded 3. Have been living,
have just decided 4. Has been lying, have you not read 5. Have been waiting, has not come 6.
Has not had, has been 7. Has been writing, has not finished 8. Have you ever seen, have just
looked 9. Has read, have you read 10. Have been sitting, has not finished
Exercise 6
1. Write a story in a paragraph using present tense.
2. Write a conversation between two friends who meet after a long time using present
tense.

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UNIT I

1. Talking about the Present

1. do, sleep 2. Does not understand 3. Reaches 4. Do, believe 5. Marries

1. are playing 2. Am doing 3. Is helping 4. Are, working 5. Are, making

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