PRESENT SIMPLE AND PRESENT CONTINUOUS (revision)


1 Choose the most suitable tense.

a I cannot talk now. I cook/I’m cooking the dinner.

b What shall we have? Do you like/Are you liking fish?

c The River Po flows/is flowing into the Adriatic Sea.

d Do you wait/Are you waiting for the bus to Newcastle?

e You always borrow/You are always borrowing money from me!


2 Put each verb in brackets into either the present simple or the present continuous.

a What sort of work (you do) ..................?

b What (you look) ............at? (I wear) .................the wrong clothes again?

c Excuse me, (you read)……….. your newspaper? Could I borrow it?

d I (still have) ............a pain in my leg but it (get) ................better.

e What (the people here do) ................. in the evenings?

f The light from the Sun (take) .................8 mins 20 secs to reach the Earth.

g I (look after) ..............Jack’s dog this weekend. (you want) ..........to take it for a walk?

h Who (Sue dance) ...............with? That’s not her brother, is it?

i That plant I bought (not grow) .............very much. And I (water)..................it every
day.

j Which hotel (you stay) ................in whenever you (come) .............here?

k This flower (smell)………….wonderful.

l I ………………….(just taste) the soup to see if it needs more salt.

m She ………………(think) that I would be happier in another job.

n We …………….(think) of buying a new car.

o They ………………….(usually have) breakfast at home, but today they (have) ……….at work.

p Bob ……………..(be) rather difficult at the moment.



3 Put each verb in brackets into either the present simple or the present continuous.

Dear Aunt Jean,

I ……………..(just write) to tell you how much I ………………..(appreciate) the money you sent me, and to
tell you how I …………(get on) in my first term at university. Actually, I……………(really enjoy) myself!
I …………….(study) quite hard as well, but at the moment I ……………(spend) a lot of time just making
friends. I …………………(still stay) with my friend Sue, and I ……………..(look for) somewhere of my own to
live. Only a few of the first-year students …………….(live) in college here, and I ………………(seem) to be
spending a lot of time travelling backwards and forwards. I ………..(go) to lectures every morning,
and most afternoons I …………….(study) in the library. In fact I ………….(write) this letter instead of
an essay on ‘Hamlet’! I …………….(think) I’ll buy some new clothes with the money you sent. Everything
…………..(cost) a lot here, and I …………..(save) to buy a winter coat. It ………..(get) really cold here in
the evenings. I ……………..(know) lots of other students and generally speaking we …………….(have) quite a
good time socially! I …………………(also learn) to drive.

See you soon, Katherine



5 Put each verb in brackets into the most appropriate future time form (use either the present
simple or the present continuous).

a I cannot see you on Thursday afternoon. I (visit) ………..our Birmingham branch.

b What time (your plane leave) ……………………………?

c Can you call me at 7:00, because we  (leave) …………………tomorrow.

d According to this timetable, the bus (arrive) …………………….at 6:00.

e I have to finish it now because I (meet) …………..Jack in two hours.

f When (the concert start) …………………….? – It (start) ………….at seven.