PERIOD 3 – INTERMEDIATE GRAMMAR REVISION MATERIAL
Exercise 1: Put the verbs into the correct form: present simple or present continuous.
TONY: So tell me, Leila, why is it important to save the rainforest?
LEILA: There are a number of reasons. One is that many plants which could be useful in medicine
1_____________ (grow) in the rainforest. We 2_____________ (not/know) all the plants, but there are
thousands and thousands of them. Researchers 3_____________ (try) to discover their secrets before
they are destroyed.
TONY: I see, what other reasons are?
LEILA: Well, have you heard that the word 4_____________ (get) warmer? The rainforests have
always had an important influence on our weather but now they 5_____________ (disappear) at a
terrifying rate and people 6_____________ (not / do) enough to save them.
TONY: But I 7_____________ (enjoy) warm sunshine, is global warming really such a problem?
LEILA: You know that polar regions 8_____________ (consist) of millions of tons of ice. If they
9_____________ (melt) the level of the see will rise and cause terrible floods. Many scientist
10 _____________ (believe) that temperatures 11_____________ (rise) as we talk. We must do
everything we can to prevent global warming, and that includes preserving the rainforest!
TONY: Thank you Leila, and good luck in your campaign.
LEILA: Thank you.
Exercise 2: Tick the correct sentences. In some pairs, one is correct, in other pairs both can be
correct.
a) What do you think of my hair? b) What are you thinking of my hair.
a) You look great today. b) You're looking great today.
a) Do you enjoy your meal? b) Are you enjoying your meal?
a) Where do you live? b) Where are you living?
a) I don't believe his story. b) I'm not believing his story.
a) Students seem tired today. b) Students are seeming tired today.
a) How often do you play tennis? b) How often are you playing tennis?
Exercise 3: Choose the correct alternative.
Thomas Edison started/was starting work on the railway when he was twelve, selling newspaper and
snacks. There were long periods with nothing for him to do, so he built/was building himself a little
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laboratory in the luggage van. He could carry out experiments there when he didn't sell/wasn't selling
things to passengers. He also joined/was joining a library and read/was reading every single books in
it.
One day, when he waited/was waiting at the station, he noticed/was noticing a small boy. The boy
played/was playing by the track, unaware that a train approached/was approaching. Edison ran/was
running out and grabbed/was grabbing the child just in time. The child's father was so grateful that he
offered/was offering to teach Edison to be a telegraph operator. After a year, he was good enough to
get a job in the telegraph office. He continued to read and experiment whenever he had/was having
time. At twenty-one he left/was leaving the telegraph office to devote all his time to being an inventor.
He went on/was going on to invent the electric light bulb, the phonograph and the movie camera.
Exercise 4: Use the words given to make sentences. Do not change the order of the words. Use
only the past simple and past continuous.
a) when Dan / arrive / we / have / coffee
b) while he / walk / in the mountains, Henry / see / a bear
c) the students / play / a game when the teacher / arrive
d) I / walk / home when it / start / to snow
e) Andy / go / out of the restaurant when he / see / Jenny
Exercise 5: Write complete sentences. Use present continuous, will or going to.
JIM: everybody / come / to the meeting on Friday afternoon?
PAM: Most people.
JIM: it / be/ a long meeting?
PAM: I'm not sure. It / probably / be / about three hours. Why?
JIM: I / go / to the dentist at 5.30. I made an appointment two weeks ago.
TOM: Great! That's the end of school for a few weeks!
LUCY: When / the next term / begin?
TOM: On the 3rd of September.
LUCY: What / you / do / during the holidays?
TOM: I don't know yet, but I / think / go / to the beach. What about you?
LUCY: I already have a plan. My school / not / finish / until next week, after I / go / to Venice, but I
don't exactly know when.
