Preterite: BE + -ING

TEST

Please choose the correct tense: simple past or BE+-ING?
I _____________ (1: have) a bath yesterday when the phone _____________ (2: ring). "That must be my mother," I _____________ (3: think). As I _____________ (4: get) out of the bath, I _____________ (5: put) my foot on my watch and I _____________ (6: break) it. The phone _____________ (7: still/ring). I _____________ (8: run) out of the bathroom and I _____________ (9: hit) my head on the door. It _____________ (10: hurt) terribly and I _____________ (11: want) to sit down for a moment, but the phone _____________ (12: still/ring). "Please wait a minute, mother," I _____________ (13: think). The cats _____________ (14: sit) at the top of the stairs. I _____________ (15: not/see) them and I _____________ (16: fall). At the bottom of the stairs I _____________ (17: get up). My right leg _____________ (18: hurt) more than my head. The phone _____________ (19: still/ring). At last I _____________ (20: answer) it. It _____________ (21: be) my mother. "Hello, dear. Is evrything all right?" she _____________ (22: say).

ANSWERS:
1: was having | 2: rang | 3: thought | 4: was getting | 5: put | 6: broke | 7: was still ringing | 8: ran | 9: hit | 10: hurt | 11: wanted | 12: was still ringing | 13: thought | 14: were sitting | 15: didn't see | 16: fell | 17: got up | 18: was hurting | 19: was still ringing [ 20: answered | 21: was | 22: said

Irregular Verbs

Infinitive - Preterite - Past participle
be - was/were - been
bear - bore - born
become - became - become
begin - began - begun
bet - bet - bet
bite - bit - bitten
blow - blew - blown
break - broke - broken
bring - brought - brought
build - built - built
burn - burnt - burnt
buy - bought - bought
catch - caught - caught
choose - chose - chosen
come - came - come
cost - cost - cost
cut - cut - cut
do - did - done
draw - drew - drawn
dream - dreamt - dreamt
drink - drank - drunk
drive - drove - driven
eat - ate - eaten
fall - fell - fallen
feel - felt - felt - ressentir
fight - fought - fought
find - found - found
fly - flew - flown
forget - forgot - forgotten
forgive - forgave - forgiven
get - got - got
give - gave - given
go - went - gone
have -had - had
hear - heard - heard
keep - kept - kept
leave - left - left
know - knew - known
lose - lost - lost
make - made - made
meet - met - met
read - read - read
ring - rang - rung
say - said - said
see - saw - seen
sit - sat - sat
sleep - slept - slept
swim - swam - swum
take - took - taken
think - thought - thought
write - wrote - written

Past Simple (Preterite)

TEST - Fill in the gaps:

____________ (1: you/go) to London yesterday?
Yes, I ____________ (2): I ____________ (3: take) the Eurostar and I ____________ (4: arrive) at Waterloo Station. I ____________ (5: meet) old friends there. They ____________ (6: be) all very happy to see me. I ____________ (7: visit) the town with them and I even ____________ (8: see) Prince Charles! I ____________ (9: go) to Buckingham Palace too! It ____________ (10: be) a wonderful journey!

ANSWERS
1: did you go | 2: did | 3: took | 4: arrived | 5. met | 6. were | 7: visited | 8: saw | went | was
(GO, TAKE, MEET, BE, SEE are irregular).

Present simple or Present continuous?

Put the verbs into the correct tense (present simple OR present continuous):
The train always ________________(1: leave) on time.
"What's the matter? Why ________________(2: cry/you)?"
That's strange. They________________(3: not to watch) TV.
He________________(4: not to speak) very good English.
Please be quiet! I________________(5: do) my homework.
Where________________(6: live/they)?
Listen! John ________________ music! (7: play)
I never ________________(8: go) to the swimming pool.

Harold Black's a famous pianist. He________________(9: give) two or three concerts every week. He ________________(10: travel) a lot and this week he's in New York. He________________(11: stay) at an expensive hotel. He's at his hotel now. He________________(12: have) his breakfast in the dining-room. He________________(13: drink) a cup of coffee and he________________(14: read) a newspaper. Harold's always very busy. He________________(15: play) the piano regularly. He________________(16: practise) for four hours every day. He________________(17: go) to bed late and he always ________________(18: get up) early. But he sometimes________________(19: get) dressed too quickly, and this morning he________________(20: wear) one blue sock and one red one!

ANSWERS

1. leaves | 2. are you crying | 3. are not watching (= aren't watching) | 4. does not speak (= doesn't speak) | 5. am doing | 6. do they live | 7. is playing | 8. go
9. gives | 10. travels | 11. is staying (= he's staying) | 12. is having | 13. is drinking | 14. is reading | 15. plays | 16. practises | 17. doesn't go | 18. gets up | 19. gets | 20. is wearing

PRESENT CONTINUOUS (BE + -ING) vs PRESENT SIMPLE

	PRESENT (BE + -ING)	PRESENT SIMPLE
Main use	Action which is being done at the same moment	Permanent situations; regular habits and daily routine; feelings
Affirmative	AUXILIARY BE + verb ending in -ING eg: I am playing, you are playing, he/she/it is playing, we are playing, you are playing, they are playing	In the positive form, add an 's' to the base form of the 3rd person singular. eg : I play, you play, he/she/it plays, we play, you play, they play
Exceptions	1) If the verb ends in "-e", remove the "-e": smoke -> he is smoking 2) If the verb has one syllable AND if it ends in "consonant-vowel-consonant", double the final consonant: run -> running	1) If the verb ends in "ch", "s", "sh", "x", "z", "o", add "-es" to the base forme of the 3rd p sg: she goes, he catches 2) If the verb ends in -y preceded by a consonant, change the "-y" to "-ies": study -> he studies.
Negative	Use NOT eg: I am not playing	Use DO NOT / DON'T or DOES NOT / DOESN'T (3rd p sg) eg: I don't play, she doesn't play
Questions	Auxiliary BE at the beginning of the question eg: Are you playing football?	Auxiliary DO or DOES at the beginning of the question eg: Do you play football? Does he play football?
Short answers	Use BE eg: Yes, I am. No, he isn't.	Use DO or DOES eg: Yes, I do. No, he doesn't.

TEST : Fill in the gaps with the verb (choose the correct present):

1. We _______________ (not/think) that you should buy this dress.
2. At the moment, he _______________ (learn) German for his job.
3. We usually _______________ (take) a taxi to go to work.
4. How often _______________ (you go) to the swimming-pool?
5. The cinema _______________ (close) at 7 pm.
6. Look! She _______________ TV.
7. Courses generally _______________ (begin) on the third of September.
8. When _______________ (he arrive) home in the evenings?
9. What _______________ (you/read) at the moment?
10. They _______________ (not/live) in Washington; they _______________ (live) in New York.
11. We usually _______________ (take) a taxi to go to work.
12. It _______________ (work). I think it's broken.
13. He _______________ (get up) early on Mondays.
14. I _______________ (not/believe) in witches.
15. The Sun's rays _______________ (take) eight minutes to reach the Earth.
16. They _______________ (study) at the moment.

ANSWERS

1. We don't think that you should buy this dress.
2. At the moment, he is learning German for his job.
3. We usually take a taxi to go to work.
4. How often do you go to the swimming-pool?
5. The cinema closes at 7 pm.
6. Look! She is watching TV.
7. Courses generally begin on the third of September.
8. When do you arrive home in the evenings?
9. What are you reading at the moment?
10. They don't live in Washington; they live in New York.
11. We usually take a taxi to go to work.
12. It is not working. I think it's broken.
13. He doesn't get up early on Mondays.
14. I don't believe in witches.
15. The Sun's rays take eight minutes to reach the Earth.
16. They are studying at the moment.

Present Simple

Examples:
I wake up
You wake up
He/She/It wakeS up
We wake up
You wake up
They wake up

TEST

1. The cinema _______________ (close) at 7 pm.
2. The _______________ (not/think) that you should buy this dress.
3. We usually _______________ (take) a taxi to go to work.
4. How often _______________ (you go) to the swimming-pool?
5. Courses _______________ (begin) the third of September.
6. When _______________ (he arrive) home in the evenings?
7. They _______________ (not/live) in Washington, they _______________ (live) in New York.
8. We usually _______________ (take) a taxi to go to work.
9. He _______________ (get up) early on Mondays.
10. I _______________ (not/believe) in witches.
11. The Sun's rays _______________ (take) eight minutes to reach the Earth.

ANSWERS
1. closes - 2. do not think = don't think - 3. take - 4. do you go - 5. begin - 6. when does he arrive home? - 7. don't live | live - 8. take - 9. gets up - 10. don't believe - 11. take

Present (BE + -ING)

Have a look at this picture:

Examples:

He/She/It is playing football.
We are playing football.
You are playing football.
They are playing football.

Negation: I am not playing football, you are not playing football...

Question: Am

I play

ing football? Are you playing football? Is he playing football? ...

Answers:

Are they playing football?

Long answers:	Yes, they're playing football.	No, they aren't playing football.
Short answers:	Yes, they are.	No, they aren't.