Grammar Revision Unit 1. Present Simple and Present Continuous

We use the Present Simple:

• for routines and habits:

e.g. I go to the bank twice a week;

- for permanent situations:

e. g. My friend works in a bank;

- for facts:

e. g. Water boils at 100 centigrade;

- for timetable or fixed events in the future:

e. g. The train leaves in 10 minutes.

We use the Present Continuous:

• for actions happening now:

e.g. I am working on my reporting at the moment;

• for temporary actions or situations:

e.g. I am staying with my friends till I find a new flat;

• for changing or developing situations:

e.g. The economic situation is getting worse in this country;

• to talk about something that happens often and is unpleased or irritating (with always):

e.g. She is always grumbling and complaining.

Exercise 1. Choose the correct variant:

1. All the guides here speak/are speaking at least foreign languages, because a lot of foreign tourists come/are coming every year.

2. Look! The meeting starts/is starting. We’d better go in.

3. I work/am working for Midmark, a firm that makes/is making medical equipment.

4. I go/am going to the supermarket. Do you want anything?

5. The train is arriving/arrives at 7 a.m.

6. They always make noise/are making noise next door.

7. Our meetings usually are starting/start at 4 p.m.

8. When a company is not successful, it is going/goes out of business.

9. I work /am working overtime this week.

10. Tom is very reliable person, everybody is trusting/trusts him.

11. He usually is coming/ comes to his office on time.

12. The sun is setting/sets in the West.

13. Great Britain becomes/ is becoming more popular as a location for international business.

14. He earns/ is earning over $20, 000 a year.

15. People often spend/are spending a lot of their money on cigarettes.

Exercise 2. Complete the sentence using the correct form Present Simple or Present Continuous of the verbs in brackets.

1. I never (work) at the weekend.

1. He (smoke) 30 cigarettes a day but at the moment he (try) very hard to cut down.

2. What you (think) about?

3. Business (become) more international and secretaries (need) international communication skills.

4. He (make) paper product.

5. The speaker (wait for) a telephone call.

6. The manager (check) the production levels every day.

7. They (sign) the contract in the conference room. Don’t trouble them.

8. Multinationals (compete) for a market share.

9. The express train always (arrive) on time.

10. The delegation (come) now.

11. She (run) her own business.

12. I feel that we (make) too much noise.

13. The firm (specialize) in green tourism.

14. At present we (do) business with Japanese companies.

Exercise 3. Translate into English:

1. Ця компанія виробляє найсучасніші телевізори.

1. Не заважай мені! Я працюю над перекладом економічної статті.

2. Транснаціональні компанії працюють в багатьох країнах світу.

3. Мій брат займається малим бізнесом.

4. Економічна ситуація в країні впливає на розвиток бізнесу.

5. Багато європейських компаній співпрацюють з Японією.

6. Зараз уряд намагається знизити ціни на продовольчі товари.

7. Мій приятель вивчає економіку.

8. Моя фірма зараз шукає нових партнерів по бізнесу.

9. Він заробляє $20, 000 на рік.

10. Мене не цікавить Ваша пропозиція. Я розширяю свій власний бізнес.

11. Власники торгових підприємств намагаються домовитись про це.