PRACTICE 1

Present simple, present continuous, past simple, past continuous

1. Complete the sentences with SIMPLE PRESENT or PRESENT CONTINUOUS:

a. Susan usually ………………. (go) to school by bus, but now she ……………………..
(go) to school by train.
b. Mary often ……………….. (read) in bed, but today she is very tired and she
………………………. (not / read).
c. The boys usually ………………… (ride) their bikes to school. They …………….
………………… (like / ride) their bikes. They ……………… (be) very naughty boys.
They always …………………… (go) to school late. Today their teacher
…………………. (be) very angry, because they ………………… (be) late again.
d. Mary ……………………….. (like / eat) sweets. Every morning she ……………. (have)
coffee with a lot of sweets and chocolate. For lunch she and her friends often
……………….. (eat) sweets or ice-cream. She ……………………… (not / like / eat)
fruit or vegetables. She ……………………… (eat / never) eggs or cheese. Today she
………………….. (be) sick. She …………………… (sleep) in her room now.

2. Use a preposition ( ON, IN, AT, BY ) in each blank:

a. Jane goes to work …………………. bus.
b. My birthday is …………………. March.
c. We are going to meet …………… 4:00 p.m.
d. Students must go to school …………….. weekdays.
e. Do you do play tennis ……………….. the weekend?
f. His birthday is ………………… November 5th .
g. We have art lesson ……………. Mondays.

3. Write DON’T, DOESN’T, ISN’T, AREN’T or AM NOT in the blank space in each
sentence:
a. He isn’t listening to the radio right now.
b. He doesn’t listen to the radio every evening.
c. We …………………. watching a television program now.
d. We …………………. watch television every day.
e. They …………………. study their lessons after class.
f. They …………………. studying their lessons right now.
g. It ………………….. raining very hard right at the moment.
h. It ……………………rain very much during the summer.
i. Mr. Johnson ………………… eating his lunch now.
j. Mr. Johnson ………………… always eat at that place.
 k. I ……………………. see any students in that room.
l. I ……………………. hear anyone in the hall now.
4. Read the following text and answer the questions:

My name is Kate O’Hara. I live on a farm with my mother and father. I like it but I work
very hard. Every morning I wake up at five o’clock and feed the horses. Then I can go back to
the house. Mum makes breakfast at 5:30 and I’m not late for breakfast because I don’t like
cold eggs. After breakfast I help dad for an hour. Then I have a shower and get ready for
school. The school bus leaves at 8:15. I leave home at 8:00.
After school I can watch TV for an hour. Then we have our dinner. We have chicken for
dinner but I hate it. I eat it because mum gets angry. After dinner I do my homework. Then I
go out and feed the horses. I go to bed early because I’m always very tired at the end of the
day.

1. Where does Kate live?

………………………………………………………………………………………
2. What time does she get up every morning?
………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Who makes breakfast every morning?
………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Why isn’t she late for breakfast?
………………………………………………………………………………………

5. When does she have a shower?

………………………………………………………………………………………
6. What time does she catch the school bus?
………………………………………………………………………………………
7. How long can she watch TV?
………………………………………………………………………………………
8. What do they have for dinner?
………………………………………………………………………………………
9. When does she do her homework?
………………………………………………………………………………………
10. Why does she go to bed early?
………………………………………………………………………………………
True or False:
1. She doesn’t like the farm. _____________
2. Kate doesn’t work very hard. ______________
3. Kate has a shower before 8:15. ______________
4. Kate’s mother doesn’t like chicken. ______________
5. After dinner Kate feeds the horses. ______________

5. Circle the correct answer:

1. Look! Thomas is bringing / brings his little sister to class.
2. My older sister is often listening / often listens to pop music.
3. We are writing / write an exercise now.
 4. Mmmm! Mum is making / makes a cake.
5. Our teacher is giving / gives us a test every month.
6. Listen! Dad is reading / reads a story to Ricky.
7. Mr. Michael usually is growing / grows roses in his garden.
8. They are building / build a new house on the hill now.
9. Maria is drinking / drinks milk every morning.
10. Look! Nick is running / runs down the hill.
6. Change the following sentences into POSITIVE, NEGATIVE and QUESTION form:

1. You know the answer.

(-) ……………………………………………………………………………………….
(?) ………………………………………………………………………………………

2. He has breakfast at 8 o’clock.

(-) ……………………………………………………………………………………….
(?) ……………………………………………………………………………………….
3. Some schoolgirls don’t wear uniforms.
(+) ………………………………………………………………………………………
(?) ………………………………………………………………………………………

4. Does she cut her husband’s hair?

(+) ………………………………………………………………………………………
(-) ………………………………………………………………………………………

5. She does her homework everyday.

(-) ……………………………………………………………………………………….
(?) ……………………………………………………………………………………….

7. Complete the man’s statement with the PAST SIMPLE form of the verbs in brackets:
Last night I ……………… (go) to my favorite restaurant in West Street. I ……………..
(leave) the restaurant at about 11 o’clock. It …………….. (be) a warm evening and I
……………….. (decide) to walk along the beach.
Suddenly, I ………………… (hear) a noise. I ……………….. (turn) and ……………… (see)
three boys aged about eighteen. One boy ……………… (come) up to me and ………………..
(ask) me the time. When I ………………. (look) down at my watch, he ……………… (hit) me
and I ……………… (fall) to the ground. Another boy ………………. (take) my wallet. I
……………….. (shout) for help. Then they ………………(run) away.
8. Complete the conversation with WAS / WASN’T / WERE / WEREN’T.
A: Where were you last night? I phoned you but you …………… at home.
B: I …………..out with friends. We ……………. at the Bluenote Café.
A: …………… Julia there?
B: No, she …………… . Why?
 A: Oh, I just wondered.
B: She ………….out with Nick. They ……………at the Oasis. I think.
A: No, they …………… .
B: How do you know?
A: Because I …………….. there!
9. Fill in the blanks with a correct form, the PAST SIMPLE or the PAST
CONTINUOUS:

1. He ………………………………….. (talk) with Mary, when Mrs. Smith came in.

2. They ………………………………… (study) two hours last night.
3. Jane …………………………………. (sleep) when the telephone rang.
4. As I …………………………………. (walk) to the lab, I met my friend.
5. We ………………………………….. (watch) TV last night.
6. The customer ………………………… (pay) his cheque when he dropped his credit card.
7. The barber …………………………………. (cut) my hair yesterday.
8. She ………………………………. (dance) when she hurt her ankle.
9. It …………………………………. (rain) hard when I got up.
10. It …………………………………. (rain) hard last night.

10. Complete the sentences with the words in parentheses using the SIMPLE PAST or
the PAST CONTINUOUS:

1. While they ……………………………… (travel) to China, Marco …………………….

(keep) a diary.
2. Mrs. White …………………………………. (drive) past a house in Main Street when she
……………………… (see) the ground floor on fire.
3. While he ………………………………. (fly) off the Miami Coast, the pilot ……………..
(see) sharks approaching the swimmers.
4. The fireman ……………………………… (fight) the fire on a balcony below when he
………………………… (hear) someone’s shouts.
5. She …………………… (die) while she ………………………….. (run) after a bus.
6. We ……………………………….. (have) dinner when the electricity ……………………
(go) off.
7. She ………………………………… (think) of something else while you ………………..
(talk) to her.
8. I ……………………….. (see) her while I …………………………………. (look) out of
the window.
9. While the teacher ………………………………….. (talk), the students …………………..
(look) at an insect on the ceiling.

11. Fill in the blanks with a correct form of PAST CONTINUOUS:

1. Alice hurt herself while she ……………………………………………. (skate).

2. I met my neighbor while I ………………………………………. (walk) home from work.
 3. Sally saw a friend while she …………………………….. (ride) her bicycle along Park St.
4. Peter fell asleep while he …………………………………… (study).
5. Bob stepped on Jane’s feet while they ………………………………….. (dance) together.
6. I cut myself while I ……………………………………. (shave).
7. Mr. and Mrs. Brown burned themselves while they …………………………... (bake)
cookies.
8. Tommy had a nightmare while he …………………………….. (sleep) at a friend’s house.

12. Complete the sentences with the words in parentheses using the SIMPLE PAST or
the PAST CONTINUOUS:

1. Sally …………………………… (eat) dinner last night when someone …………………..

(knock) on the door.
2. I began to study at seven last night. Fred …………………………… (come) at seven-
thirty. I ……………………………… (study) when Fred ……………………….. (come).
3. While I ………………………………. (study) last night, Fred ……………………………
(drop by) to visit me.
4. My roommate’s parents …………………………………. (call) him last night while we
…………………………………….. (watch) TV.
5. My mother called me around five. My husband came home a little after five. When he
……………………………….. (come) home, I ………………………………….. (talk) to
my mother on the phone.
6. Yesterday Tom and Janice ……………………… (go) to the zoo around one. They
………………………… (see) many kinds of animals. They stayed at the zoo for two
hours. While they …………………………… (walk) home, it …………….…….. (begin)
to rain, so they …………………………….. (stop) at a small café and ……………………
(have) a cup of coffee.
7. Yesterday afternoon I ………………………… (go) to visit the Parker family. When I
…………………….. (get) there around two o’clock, Mrs. Parker ………………….. (be)
in the yard. She ………………………………… (plant) flowers in her garden. Mr. Parker
……………………….. (be) in the garage. He ……………………………….. (work) on
their car. He …………………………….. (change) the oil.

13. Complete the sentences. Use the words in parentheses. Use SIMPLE PRESENT,
PRESENT CONTINUOUS, or SIMPLE PAST.

1. I ……………………….. (get) up at eight o’clock yesterday morning.

2. Mark …………………………….. (talk) to John on the phone last night.
3. Mark …………………………….. (talk) to John on the phone right now.
4. Mark …………………………….. (talk) to John on the phone every day.
5. Jim and I ……………………. (eat) lunch at the cafeteria two hours ago.
6. We ……………………………. (eat) lunch at the cafeteria every day.
7. I …………………………. (go) to bed early last night.
8. My roommate ………………………….. (study) Spanish last year.
9. Sue ………………………….. (write) a letter to her parents yesterday.
10. Sue ………………………….. (write) a letter to her parents every week.
 11. Sue is in her room right now. She …………………………. (sit) at her desk. She
…………………………………. (write) a letter to her boyfriend.
12. Marianne ……………………… (do) her homework last night.
13. Yesterday I ………………………. (see) Dick at the library.
14. I ……………………… (have) a dream last night.I ……………………….. (dream)
about my friends. I …………………………. (sleep) for eight hours.
15. Alice ……………………… (smoke) a cigarette after class yesterday.
16. My wife ………………………….. (come) home around five every day.
17. Yesterday she …………………………… (come) home at 5:15.
18. Our teacher ………………………………… (stand) in the middle of the room right now.
19. Uor teacher …………………………….. (stand) in the front of the room yesterday.
20. John usually ………………………. (sit) in the back of the room, but yesterday he
………………………… (sit) in the front row. Today he ………………. (be) absent.
He ………………….. (be) absent two days ago too.

14. Supply the proper form, ADJECTIVE or ADVERB:

1. He always does his homework …………………………………….. (careful).

2. He is a very ……………………………… (careful) student.
3. Come …………………………… (quick). We need your help.
4. You should drive more …………………………… (slow) along this road.
5. The old man walks very ………………………….. (slow).
6. Helen is a very ……………………………. (slow) student.
7. Her brother, on the other hand, learns …………………………… (rapid).
8. Mr. Gonzales has a ………………………………. (permanent) visa.
9. He hopes to remain in this country ………………………….. (permanent).
10. This is an …………………………… (easy) exercise.
11. I can do all of these exercises ……………………… (easy).
12. Helen works very ………………………… (hard) in her new job.
13. You walk very ………………………… (fast).
14. They are both ………………………. (serious) students.
15. They both study English very ……………………………… (serious).