English Grammar Exercises: Present continuous and present simple 1

Exercise 1   

Are the underlined verbs right or wrong? Correct them where necessary.

1   Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. …………………….

2   The water boils. Can you turn it off? …………………….

3   Look! That man tries to open the door of your car. …………………….

4   Can you hear those people? What do they talk about? …………………….

5   The moon goes round the earth in about 27 days. …………………….

6   I must go now. It gets late. …………………….

7   I usually go to work by car. …………………….

8   ‘Hurry up! It’s time to leave.’ ‘OK, I come.’ …………………….

9   I hear you’ve got a new job. How do you get on? …………………….

10   Paul is never late. He’s always getting to work on time. …………………….

11   They don’t get on well. They’re always arguing. …………………….

Exercise 2   

Put the verb into the correct form, present continuous or present simple.

1   Let’s go out. ……………………. (it / not / rain) now.

2   Julia is very good at languages. ……………………. (she / speak) four languages very well.

3   Hurry up! ……………………. (everybody / wait) for you.

4   ‘ ……………………. (you / listen) to the radio?’ ‘No, you can turn it off.’

5   ‘……………………. (you / listen) to the radio every day?’ ‘No, just occasionally.’

6   The River Nile ……………………. (flow) into the Mediterranean.

7   The river ……………………. (flow) very fast today- much faster than usual.

8   ……………………. (we / usually / grow) vegetables in our garden, but this year

    ……………………. (we / not / grow) any.

9   A:  How’s your English?

     B:  Not bad. I think ……………………. (it / improve) slowly.

10   Rachel is in New York right now. ……………………. (she / stay) at the Park Hotel.

     ……………………. (she / always / stay) there when she’s in New York.

11   Can we stop walking soon? ……………………. (I / start) to feel tired.

12   A:  Can you drive?

       B:  ……………………. (I / learn). My father ……………………. (teach) me.

13   Normally ……………………. (I / finish) work at five, but this week

     ……………………. (I / work) until six to earn a little more money.

14   My parents ……………………. (live) in Manchester. They were born there and have never lived anywhere else. Where ……………………. (your parents / live)?

15   Sonia ……………………. (look) for a place to live. ……………………. (she / stay) with her sister until she finds somewhere.

16   A:  What ……………………. (your brother / do)?

       B:  He’s an architect, but ……………………. (he / not / work) at the moment.

17   (at a party) ……………………. (I / usually enjoy) parties, but ……………………. (I / not / enjoy) this one very much.

Exercise 3   

Finish B’s sentences. Use always -ing.

1   A:  I’ve lost my phone again.

     B:  Not again! ……………………. .

2   A:  The car has broken down again.

     B:  That car is useless. It ……………………. .

3   A:  Look! You’ve made the same mistake again.

     B:  Oh no, not again! I ……………………. .

4   A:  Oh, I’ve forgotten my glasses again.

     B:  Typical! ……………………. .