Grammar exercises on Present Simple vs. Present Progressive. (class A, advanced)

Grammar exercises on Present Simple vs. Present Progressive. (class A, advanced)

Name ……………………Class ……………………………….date ……………………………….

A.      Complete the text with the correct form of the verb in simple present tense or present continuous tense.

My favourite aunt, Monica, ____________ (teach) archeology at the university. Right now she ____________ (give) a class on the art of ancient Egypt. She ____________ (do) a lot of sports and ____________ (go) to the cinema regularly. This month, she ____________ (learn) to hang glide. But she also ____________ (climb) mountains every weekend and ____________ (do) scuba diving when she is on holidays.

B.      Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form.

1.        This coat                                   ( feel) very soft.

2.       What _____________________ (you/think) of the new English teacher?

3.        My parents ____________________ (come) to visit me every Christmas.

4.        I ________________________ (not/want) to leave yet. I _________________ (have) such a good time.

5.        She ______________________ (wear) a smart suit whenever she ___________________(go) for a job interview.

6.        Right now, Christine                                        on the computer. (work)

7.         a: What                                         (you/do)?  b: I’m an architect.

8.       I_______________________(not/belong) to a political party.

9.       What time _______________________ (the banks / close) in Britain?

10.   The economic situation is already bad and ____________________(it/get/) worse.

11.   He is a teacher but he ______________(work) at the moment.

12.   Ron is in London at the moment. He _________________________(stay) at the Hilton Hotel. He usually ____________(stay) at the Hilton Hotel when he is in London.

13.   She _____________________________(think) they are studying now.

14.   Mary ___________________________(believe) you, but I know you are lying.

15.   What are you doing? I ________________________(feel) the radiator to see if it’s getting warm.

16.   Why don’t you comb your hair? It _________________________(look) awful.

17.   Tom’s trainers _______________________(smell) terrible. I must wash them.

18.   Granny ______________________(hold) the baby in her arms now.

19.   She ______________(have) dinner with her boss right now.

20.   I don’t _______________________(understand) this word. What ____________________ (it / mean)?

21.   I__________________(wait) for Tim. We _____________(want) to go swimming.

22.   Your perfume _____________(smell) nice. What is it?

23.   A: She ______________________(be) generous, isn’t she? B: Yes, she has never been a mean person.

24.   He _________________(be) very quiet today, isn’t he? B: Yes, I think he has some problems.

25.   In five days , Sue _______________(go) back to France because the next term at university _______________(start) in ten days.

C.      Make questions.

1.       What /you /do/tonight?

2.       How/you/pronounce/this word?

3.       How/spell/that?

4.       She/see/her doctor/at four?

5.       What /this word/mean?

6.       How much/ they/cost?

7.       Where/ you/live?

8.       What time/plane/leave?

9.       They/listen/now?

10.   He/ play/ tennis/later?

PRESENT SIMPLE vs. PRESENT CONTINUOUS+STATIVES

PRESENT SIMPLE vs. PRESENT CONTINUOUS

We use the Simple Present for:

1. habits                                            I go fishing every weekend.

2. general truths                               The sun rises in the morning.

3. permanent situations                      I live in Athens.

4. the phrases: Here comes…/There goes… . Here comes the teacher.

5. headlines, commentaries, jokes                 Boy steals 2 million euros.

6. timetables, programmes for the future        The bus leaves at 5.00.

Time expressions: always, frequently, never, usually, often, sometimes, occasionally, rarely, seldom, hardly ever, scarcely ever, every day, once a month, on Saturdays.

We use the Present Progressive for:

1. something happening now.

I’m listening to the teacher now.

2. something happening at present (not necessarily now).

I’m writing a book this year.

3. temporary situations.

I’m staying with my sister until I find a flat.

4. personal arrangements for the near future.

We’re going to Devon this Saturday.

5. changing situations

He's getting taller and taller.

6. with always or constantly to show annoyance or complaint.

You’re always talking in class!

Time expressions: now, at the/this moment, today, this week, at present, these days, still, nowadays, for the time being, currently, tomorrow etc.

Stative Verbs

These are not normally used in continuous tenses.

Senses: hear, see, taste, smell, look, sound, watch, observe

Feeling: love, hate, like, dislike, wish, mind, enjoy, prefer, adore, fear, expect, appreciate, want, pity, desire, detest, (dis)agree, envy,doubt,

Knowledge: know, understand, realise, seem, think, notice, remember, forget, recognise, suspect, remind, suppose, imagine,

Possession: belong, own, possess, have, need, include

Measurement: weigh, measure, cost, hold, contain

OTHER: be ,fit, matter, appear, depend, deserve, care ,concern, owe, impress, promise, please, satisfy surprise

State                                                                            Action

See   I (can)see the ship.                          I’m seeing the doctor tomorrow. (meeting)

taste  The meat tastes delicious.              He’s tasting the meat now. (trying)

smell  The rose smells lovely.                   I’m smelling the fish to see if it’s fresh.

think   I think that’s a good idea.               We’re thinking of changing our jobs.

*have   We have a dog.     (possess)        He’s having a swim now.

weigh The boy weighs 60 kilos.                 She’s weighing the flour.

measure The room measures 14 m2.          * He’s measuring the piece of wood.    * 14 m2 : fourteen square metres

Also: be You are a clever boy.(it’s part of your personality)              He’s being naughty today. (He is behaving)

Expect     We expect he’ll win.                                                She’s expecting twins.

Hold         This bottle holds 2 litres.                                             She is holding 3 glasses.

Feel       The coat feels warm.                             John is feeling much better today.

*Ιδιωματικές εκφράσεις του HAVE :

                                                            breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper etc.

                                                           a shower, a bath, a swim, a party etc.

                                                            an accident, an experience, a dream etc

                                                            a baby

                                                            difficulty, fun, trouble etc

Basic English idioms

Basic English idioms

1.       To be at a loss for words

2.       To be on good terms with sb

3.       To be in sb’s shoes

4.       To be in a good/bad mood

5.       To be broke

6.       To do one’s best

7.       To do sb a favour

8.       To do sth for a living

9.       To have a good/bad time

10.   To have the time of my life

11.   To have an early / late night

12.   To fall in love with sb

13.   To get along with sb

14.   To get along without sb/sth

15.   To get into a mess

16.   To get on sb’s nerves

17.   To get rid of

18.   To give sb’s one’s word

19.   To get in touch with

20.   To keep in touch with sb

21.   To keep  quiet

22.   To keep an eye on sth

23.   To keep one’s head ≠ to lose one’s head

24.   To keep one’s fingers crossed

25.   To make oneself at home

26.   To make room for sth

27.   To make sure

28.   To make a fortune

29.   To make a fuss

30.   To make up one’s mind

31.   To make a living

32.   To drop sb a line

33.   To pull sb’s leg

34.   To break a record

35.   To break sb’s heart

36.   To throw a party

37.   To hit the roof

38.   To fight like cat and dog

39.   To rain cats and dogs

40.   To swim like a fish

41.   To cut a long story short

42.   To have a memory like an elephant

43.   To eat like a horse

44.   To take sth into account

45.   To take part in

46.   To take place

47.   To take a look

48.   To give sb a hand

49.   To give sb a ring

50.   To make allowances for sb

51.   To put the blame on sb

52.   To put an end /stop to sth

53.   To put sth by for a rainy day

54.   To do sth behind someone’s back

55.   To feel/be/look worn out

56.   To learn sth by heart

57.   To lose heart

58.   To lose one’s temper

59.   To change one’s mind

60.   To tell the world

61.   To spend money like water

62.   To fit like a glove

63.   To sleep like a log

64.   To have sth on the tip of my tongue

65.   To pour with rain

66.   To be hard of hearing

67.   To be hard on sb

68.   To be short of sth

69.   To be sound asleep

70.   To be out of work

71.   To make o mess of

72.   To head towards

73.   To get one’s head together

74.   To hit the sack

75.   To pull someone’s leg

76.   To be under the weather

77.   A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

78.   Actions speak louder than words      

79.   Add insult to injury 

80.   Barking up the wrong tree  

81.   Birds of a feather flock together

82.   Bite off more than you can chew      

83.   Break the ice             

84.   Costs an arm and a leg          

85.   Do something at the drop of a hat   

86.   Don't count your chickens before they hatch

87.   Don't cry over spilt milk        

88.   Every cloud has a silver lining             

89.   Get a taste of your own medicine    

90.   Give someone the cold shoulder      

91.   Go on a wild goose chase                    

92.   Hit the nail on the head        

93.   Ignorance is bliss                     

94.   It's a piece of cake  

95.   Kill two birds with one stone              

96.   Let the cat out of the bag     

97.   Once in a blue moon             

98.   Play devil's advocate             

99.   Put something on ice                             

100.           Slow and steady wins the race

101.           Spill the beans  

102.           Take a rain check             

103.           Take it with a grain of salt            

104.           The ball is in your court

105.           The best thing since sliced bread              

106.           The devil is in the details              

107.           The early bird gets the worm     

108.           The elephant in the room            

109.           There are other fish in the sea

110.           There's no such thing as a free lunch      

111.           You can't have your cake and eat it too

112.           You can't judge a book by its cover

113.           A stitch in time saves nine           

114.           A storm in a teacup        

115.           Bolt from the blue          

116.           Burn bridges     

117.           Calm before the storm  

118.           Come rain or shine         

119.           Curiosity killed the cat   

120.           Cut the mustard              

121.           Don't beat a dead horse

122.           Every dog has his day    

123.           Familiarity breeds contempt      

124.           Fit as a fiddle    

125.           Fortune favours the bold                             

126.           Go down in flames         

127.           Haste makes waste        

128.           Have your head in the clouds     

129.           He who laughs last laughs loudest           

130.           Hear something straight from the horse's mouth                              

131.           It is a poor workman who blames his tools

132.           It is always darkest before the dawn       

133.           It takes two to tango      

134.           Know which way the wind is blowing      

135.           Like riding a bicycle        

136.           Like two peas in a pod   

137.           Make hay while the sun shines  

138.           Once bitten, twice shy                  

139.           The pot calling the kettle black  

140.           Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones   

141.           Time is money  

142.           Waste not, want not                      

143.           Well begun is half done

144.           You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs