Grammar The simple present/ The Present continuous
1. Complete the rules below with these phrases:
a) factual information
b) plans for the near future
c) routine activities and habits
d) temporary continuous situations
-We use the present simple to:
• give …………………………………………………………………..
Tata produces cars.
• talk about . . . . . .. . . . . ……………………………….
I usually arrive at the office at eight o'clock.
Some verbs are almost always used in the present simple rather than the present
continuous, for example like, want, know, need.
-We use the present continuous to:
• describe . . . . .. . . . . . ……………………………….
She's staying in Mumbai till the end of the week.
• talk about . . . . . . . . . . . …………………………..
What are you doing on Tuesday afternoon?
2. Conjugate the verb “to sell” in the present continuous:
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
……………………………………………….. ……………………………………………….. ………………………………………………..
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……………………………………………….. ……………………………………………….. ………………………………………………..
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……………………………………………….. ……………………………………………….. ………………………………………………..
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……………………………………………….. ……………………………………………….. ………………………………………………..
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……………………………………………….. ……………………………………………….. ………………………………………………..
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……………………………………………….. ……………………………………………….. ………………………………………………..
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3. Spelling rules:
a. In the one syllable verb, if the verb ends in a consonant + vowel + consonant, we
double the final consonant and add ING, for e.g. to stop- stopping/ to sit- sitting.
b. If a two-syllable verb ends in a consonant + vowel + consonant, we do not double the
final consonant, for e.g. to happen- happening/ to enter- entering.
c. We do not double the final consonant when the verb ends in W, X or Y. for e.g. to
fix- fixing/ to snow- snowing.
d. If the verb ends in IE we change it to YING, for e.g. to lie- lying/ to die- dying.
4. Put the verbs between brackets in present simple or the present continuous :
1 We normally ........................................................ (hold) our sales conference in Mumbai, but
this year we ……………………………………….. . . . . . . . . . . . (hold) it in Delhi.
2 Although we . . . . .. ……………………………………………………………… . . . . . (use) our own sales
representative at the moment, we generally ……………………………………………... . . . . . . . . . . . (use)
agents in China.
3 Tatsuo . . . ………………………………… . . . . . . . . (work) for a financial magazine. At the moment,
he . . . . . ……………………………………. . . . . . . (write) an article on insider trading.
4 I . . . . . . . . . …………………………... . . (be) from Poland, but at the moment 1 . .. .
……………………………. . . . . . . . (live) in Germany.
5 John Lewis . . . . . . . …………………………………... . . . (want) to continue with expansion this
year.
5. Correct the following mistakes:
a. My job have to do with answering phone calls.
b. Do you read a book at the moment.
c. He is not wanting to deal with emails.
d. This is Laura. Who speaks, please?
e. Anna and John is not working for this company.
f. Where the directors are meeting?
6. Extra-activity:
Split into groups. One is the CEO of a famous company, and the others are journalists.
Each group asks his CEO a set of questions using the target tenses.
