Ex.117 The simple present and the present continuous

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct present tense.

1 Ann sees Paul putting-on his coat and says: Where you (go), Paul? Paul: I (go) to buy some cigarettes. You (want) an evening paper?

2 Ann: No, thanks. You are always buying cigarettes, Paul. How many you (smoke) a day?

Paul: I (not smoke) very many—perhaps 20. Jack (smoke) far more than I (do). He (spend) £10 a week on cigarettes.

3 Mary (see) Peter standing at the bus stop. Mary: Hello, Peter. What bus you (wait) for? Peter: Hello, Mary. I (wait) for a 9 or a 14.

4 Mary: You usually (go) to work by car, don't you?

Peter: Yes, but the car (belong) to my mother and she sometimes (want) it. She (use) it today to take Tom to the dentist.

5 Mary: I usually (go) by car too. Jack (take) me because he (pass) my office on his way to the factory. But this week he (work) in a factory in the opposite direction: so I (queue) like you.

6 Peter: Here's a 9 now. You (come) on it or you (wait) for a 14? Mary: I (think) I'll take the 9. If I (wait) for a 14 I may be late, and if you (be) late at my office everyone (look) at you.

7 Mary and Ann (wait) outside a telephone box. Inside the box a boy (dial) a number.

Mary: You (know) that boy?

Ann: Yes, he's a friend of my brother's. He (phone) his girl friend every day from this box.

8 Mary: Where he (come) from?

Ann: He (come) from Japan. He's a very clever boy; he (speak) four languages.

9 Mary: I (wonder) what he (speak) now.

Ann: Well, his girl friend (come) from Japan too; so I (suppose) he (speak)Japanese.

10 It is 8.30. Tom and Ann (have) breakfast. They both (open) their letters.

Tom: No one ever (write) to me. All I (get) is bills! You (have) anything interesting?

11 Ann: I've got a letter from Hugh. He (say) he (come) to London next week and (want) us to meet him for lunch.

12 Peter: You (have) traffic wardens in your country?

Pedro: No, I (not think) so. You (not see) them in my town anyway. What exactly a traffic warden (do)?

13 Peter: He (walk) up and down the street and if a car (stay) too long at a parking place or (park) in a no-parking area he (stick) a parking ticket to the windscreen.

14 Look! He (put) a ticket on Tom's car. Tom will be furious when he (see) it. He (hate) getting parking tickets.

15 Customer: I (want) to buy a fur coat. Have you any nice coats for about £500?

Assistant: I'm afraid we just (close), madam. It's 4.55, and we always (close) at 5.00 sharp on Fridays as Mr Jones the manager (not want) to miss his favourite television programme.

16 It is Friday evening and the Brown family are at home. Mrs Brown (listen) to a concert on the radio; Mr Brown (read) a paper, George Brown (do) his homework and Ann Brown (write) a letter.

17 Mr Brown always (read) his newspapers in the evenings. Mrs Brown sometimes (knit) but she (not knit) tonight.

18 Mr Black often (go) to the theatre but his wife (not go) very often. He (like) all sorts of plays. She (prefer) comedies.

19 Tonight they (watch) a very modern comedy. They (enjoy) it, but they (not understand) some of the jokes.

20 What (happen) in your class? The teacher (give) lectures every day?~

No. He (give) one lecture a week, and on the other days he (show) films or (discuss) books with us.

21 A bus conductor (get) more exercise than a bus driver. The driver just (sit) in his cab but the conductor (stand) and (walk) about and (run) up and down the stairs.

22 Why that man (stand) in the middle of the road? ~

He (try) to get across. He (wait) for a gap in the traffic. ~

Why he (not use) the subway? ~

Lots of people (not bother) to use the subway. They (prefer) to risk

their lives crossing here.

23 You (wear) a new coat, aren't you? ~ Yes. You (like) it?~ The colour (suit) you but it (not fit) you very well. It's much too big.

24 All the guides here (speak) at least three foreign languages, because a lot of foreign visitors (come) every summer.

25 Paul (take) a party of French tourists round now and tomorrow an American party (come).

26 Englishmen very seldom (talk) on the Underground. They (prefer) to read their newspapers. ~ Those two men in the corner (talk). ~ But they (not talk) English.

27 Jones and Co. (have) a sale at the moment. Shall we look in on our way home? ~I'd love to but I'm afraid I won't have time. I (meet) Tom at 5.30. ~

You (go) out with Tom often?

28 I usually (go) by train, but this weekend I (go) by bus. It (take) longer but it (cost) less.

29 Ann (on telephone): You (do) anything at the moment, Sally? Sally: Yes. I (pack); I (catch) a plane to New York in three hours' time. Ann: Lucky girl! How long you (stay) in New York?

30 Peter: You (go) out tonight, Paul?

Paul: No, I (stay) at home. The neighbours (come) in to watch TV.

Peter: You (invite) the neighbours often?

Paul: No, but they (invite) themselves whenever there is a good

programme.

31 Jack: I just (go) out to get an evening paper.

Ann: But it (pour)! Why you (not wait) till the rain (stop)? (I advise you to wait.)

32 Lucy: Tom (get) up very early but he (wash) and (shave) and (get) his breakfast so quietly that I (not hear) a thing. But I (hear) him driving away from the house because his car (make) a lot of noise.

33 Alice: My brother (get) up very early too. But he (make) such a lot of noise that he (wake) everybody up. He (sing) in his bath and (bang) doors and (drop) things in the kitchen and (play) the radio very loudly.

34 Lucy: Why you (not ask) him to be a bit quieter?

Alice: I (mention) it every night but it (not do) any good. He (say) that he (not make) a sound, and I (think) he really (believe) it.

35 Tom: You (see) that man at the corner? He (keep) stopping people and asking them questions. You (think) he (ask) for directions? Jack: No, I (expect) he (make) a survey. Tom: How you (make) a survey?

Jack: You (stop) people and (ask) them questions and (write) the answers on a report sheet.

36 In most countries a child (start) school at six and (stay) for about five years in a primary school. Then he (move) to a secondary school. At 17 or 18 he (take) an exam; if he (do) well in this exam he can go on to a university if he (wish).