PRACTICE EXERCISE 1                                   Name _____________
 
 

Affirmative Statements in the Present Continuous Tense 

Fill in the blanks with appropriate verb phrases in the present continuous tense.

1.I ___________________the first sentence of this exercise now.

2.The earth ________________around the sun. 

3.A lot of things ____________________right now. I ______________________at this page right now. 

4.The sun ______________________in Paris/New York/Tokyo right now.

5. The ice in Antarctica___________________________slowly. 

6.All my house plants _____________________from some disease. 

7.I __________________________this book in my hands. 

8.Fortunately.they ________________________my schedule today. 

9. Some friends of mine _________________________for France at this very moment.

10. The maid ____________________the bed right now. 

11. Sh! Someone _______________________ to our conversation.

12.Look! Your dog __________________ away. Catch him! 

13. Everyone ____________________about the present continuous tense.

14. We _______________________________in a circle of seats. 

15. Our baby ____________________to walk; also, a new tooth ___________________in his mouth.

16.I ____________________ his typewriter for the time being. 

17.It's April/October , and the days ___________________________longer/shorter .

18.All of us _______________________older day by day. 

19.They ________________________in a hotel for the time being. 

20.She ___________________________in a factory temporarily. 

 

 

 

 

PRACTICE EXERCISE 2                                                Name _____________________

 

Negative versus Affirmative Verb phrases

Put in the blanks negative or affirmative verb phrases in the present continuous tense.

1. (do) I  _____________________anything about the problem.

2. (go) We _____________________anywhere special on our vacation.

3. (happen) Nothing much _________________________in town today.

4. (take) I __________________anyone to the dance on Saturday night.

5. (listen) Someone ___________________________to our conversation.

6. (cook) Mom ___________________________anything special for dinner tonight.

7. (pay) You _________________________any attention to my explanation.

8. (take) Nobody ______________________________care of those poor children.

9. (live) He __________________________somewhere in the middle of Africa.

10. (take) The patient ________________________________any medicine now.

11. (try) Watch out ! Somebody ______________________to get your job. 

12. (wear) She _________________________a little bit of perfume.

13. (do) That lazy person _______________________anything with his/her life.

14. (try) Somebody _________________to steal that car.

15. (pay) They __________________________any income taxes this year.

16. (sing) Listen! Some birds ____________________________in the apple tree.

17. (wear) Not everyone __________________________a costume to the party.

18. ( send) I any _____________________Christmas cards this year .

19. (spend) My company ___________________________little money on this project.

20. (go) We _____________________________nowhere special for the holidays.

 

 

 

 

PRACTICE  EXERCISE  3                                                   Name 

 

Contrasting the Simple Present and Present Continuous Tenses

Put in the blanks verbs in the simple present or present continuous tense, whichever is correct.

1.      (go) My whole family _______________to church once a week.

2.      (listen) Sh! Someone _______________to our conversation.

3.      (go) My wife and I _________________to the beach in the summer.

4.      (ring) Listen! The phone ________________in the other room.

5.      (fall) Rain seldom ________________in the Sahara.

6.   (change) He is thirteen years old, and his voice _____________________.

7.   (get) Let's change the conversation. It _________________too serious.

8.   (come) Leap year __________________every four years.

9.   (grow) My grandfather ________________tomatoes in his garden this summer.

      (grow) He ________________them every summer .

10. (leave) The children ______________________for school right now.

11. (leave) The children __________________at 8:30 every morning of the week.

12. (take) Sh! The baby ______________________her nap.

13. ( change) In the north the season ____________________four times a year .

14. (die) Unfortunately, the patient ______________________ .

15. (come) The monsoon _____________________once or twice a year.

16. (get) It's spring and the days _____________________longer.

17. (get) The weather _____________very cold in Moscow in the winter.

18. (rain) It _________________hard, and I don't have an umbrella.

19. (fly) It's November and the birds ___________________south.

20. (fly) Many birds of Europe _____________south to Africa every winter.

 

 

 

 

PRACTICE  EXERCISE 4                             Name

 

Yes-No Questions and Answers with Expletive There

 

Put an appropriate form of the verb be in the first blank and an appropriate present participle in the second.

1. _________there anything __________on the stove?

2. _________there something ___________you?  

3. _________there anyone ____________you on the project?

4. _________there someone _____________at that desk?

5. _________there a meeting ____________place tomorrow?

6. _________there anyone special ______________you to the party?

7. _________there any Chinese ____________in your English class?

8. _________there a lot of people _____________in your company?

9. ____________anything important _____________place in your life now?

 

Now complete the sentences in the present continuous tense.

10. Is there a good horse/runner __________________________________?

11. Is there anything special _____________________________________?

12. Is there someone ___________________________________________?

13. Are there any Arabs ________________________________________?

14. Is there an election _________________________________________?

15. Are there many people ______________________________________?

 

 

 

 

 

PRACTICE EXERCISE  5                                        Name  

Be Going to

Fill in the blanks with appropriate verb phrases containing be going to + a base form.  

 

1. Our son ______________________the university in September.

2. We ______________________TV for a couple of hours tonight.

3. Tomorrow's meeting ________________________for about three hours.

4. The world _________________to an end tomorrow.

5. A few people _________________absent from class tomorrow.

6. Unfortunately, the police _____________anything about the problem of crime in the city.

7. Our company __________________a new product to the public.

8. We ________________anywhere special on our next vacation.

9.  The sun ____________________at 6:27 tomorrow morning.

10. My boss __________________in Boston until the end of the week.

11. Be careful! You _______________________into trouble.

12. The party ____________________until around midnight.

13. We _______________________anything special this coming weekend.

14. Fortunately, his parents ______________________a divorce.

15. The government ______________________its decision tomorrow.

16. Unfortunately, this medicine _______________________the patient.

17.  I ________________________my house plants tomorrow.

18. The discussion _________________________for about an hour .

19. He ________________________about anything in particular at the meeting.

 20.No election ____________________________place this year.