8/12/2019 2011.08.05.PresentTenses.chap1.Unit2.Handout

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PRESENT TENSES

I. THEORY:

Present simple generally refers to:

- Facts that are always true Ex: Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

- Habits Ex: British people drink a lot of tea.

- States Ex: I don't like gangster films.

Present continuous (progressive) generally refers to actions which are in progress at the moment.

- They can be actually in progress: Ex: The dog is sleeping on our bed!

- Or they can be generally in progress but not actually happening at the moment:

Ex: I'm learning to drive.

• Note: State erbs !escribe a continuing state" so !o not usually hae a continuous form. Typical examples

are: believe, belong, consist, contain, doubt, fit, have, kno, like, love, matter, mean, need, on, prefer,

 seem, suppose, suspect, understand, ant, ish

Present perfect simple refers to:

- #ecent eents" without a !efinite time gien. The recentness may be in!icate! by ust.

Ex: We've missed the turning. "'ve ust seen a ghost!

- In!efinite eents" which happene! at an un$nown time in the past. %o !efinite time is gien.

Ex: #im has had three car accidents, &up to the present'

- In!efinite eents which may hae an obious result in the present.

Ex: "'ve tisted m$ ankle, &that(s why I(m limping'

- )ith state erbs" a state which lasts up to the present.

Ex: "'ve lived here for the past ten $ears.

II. EXERISES:

! "n#erline t$e correct %or# or p$r&se in e&c$ sentence.

a' I haen(t !eci!e! yet about whether to buy a new car or a secon!-han! one. *ut I think about it%"'m

thinking about it. b' +ll right" you try to fix the teleision, *ut "  hope%"'m hoping you $now what you(re !oing.

c' Eery year  "  visit%"'m visiting *ritain to improe my English.

!' It(s time we turne! on the central heating.  "t gets%"t's getting col!er eery !ay.

e' Of course" you(re ary" aren(t you, " recognise%" am recognising you now.

f' The film of ()ar an! eace( is ery long. "t lasts%"t is lasting oer four hours.

g' I can see from what you say that your mornings are ery busy, *ut what do $ou do%are $ou doing in the

afternoons/

h' I(m going to buy a new swimming costume. y ol! one doesn't fit%isn't fitting any more"

i' That must be the en! of the first part of the performance. )hat happens%is happening now/

 0' )hat(s the matter/ )hy do $ou look%are $ou looking at me li$e that/

8/12/2019 2011.08.05.PresentTenses.chap1.Unit2.Handout

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/20110805presenttenseschap1unit2handout 2/2

PRESENT TENSES

'. Put e&c$ ver in r&cets into t$e present simple or present continuous.

I wor$ in a large office with about thirty other people" most of whom I&1'222222222 &$now' 3uite

well. )e &4' 222222222  &spen!' most of the !ay together" so we hae all become frien!s. In fact" most of my

colleagues are so interesting" that I &5' 222222222 &thin$' of writing a boo$ about them, &6' 222222222

&ta$e' Helen )atson" for example. Helen &7' 222222222 &run' the accounts !epartment. +t the moment she

&8'222222222 &go out' with 9eith *allantine" one of the sales representaties" an! they &' 222222222

&seem' ery happy together. *ut eeryone - except Helen apparently - &;' 222222222 &$now' that 9eith

&<'222222222 &fancy' Susan orter. *ut I &1=' 222222222 &happen' to $now that Susan &11' 222222222

&!isli$e' 9eith. (I can(t stan! people who neer &14' 222222222 &stop' apologising all the time,( she tol! me.

(+n! besi!es" I $now he &15' 222222222 &!eceie' poor Helen. He &16' 222222222 &see' *etty )ills from

the oerseas !epartment.( +n! plenty of other interesting things &17' 222222222 &currently>go on'. For

instance" eery wee$ we &18' 222222222 &experience' more an! more problems with theft - personal

 belongings an! een money hae been stolen. )hen you &1' 222222222 &realise' that someone in your

office is a thief" it &1;' 222222222 &upset' you at first. *ut I &1<' 222222222 &also>try' to catch whoeer it is

 before the police are calle! in. I(m not going to tell you who I &4=' 222222222 &suspect'. )ell" not yet

anyway,

*. +ost of t$ese sentences cont&in &n error. ,$ere t$ere is &n error- re%rite t$e sentence correctl.

a' I(m !epen!ing on you" so !on(t ma$e any mista$es,

 b' Is this total inclu!ing the new stu!ents/

c' Excuse me" but !o you wait for somebo!y/

!' These potatoes are tasting a bit funny.

e' How are you feeling to!ay/

f' I loo$ forwar! to hearing from you.

g' I hae a feeling that something goes wrong.

h' )hat(s that you(re eating/

i' +re you hearing anything from )en!y these !ays/

 0' I thin$ you(re being rather mean about this.