10 Revision exercise.

a  You (like) working outdoors?

b  Roy (want) to travel throughout the world.

c  We (get) up very early on weekdays, but we (stay) in bed till

   noon on Sundays.

d  You (not like) spaghetti?

e  She (not avoid) playing cards?

f  —What you (do) in your spare time?

   —I (watch) the news on television, and (read).

g  I’m dying for a cigar. You (want) one?

h  —I was born on 29th February.

   —Oh, you’re very lucky to be born in a leap year!

   —Why?

   —Well, you can go to people’s birthdays every year,

   but you (not have) to celebrate yours every year.

   —I still5 (not see) any advantage!

   —Well, in fact, you (save) a lot of money! It’s very expensive

   to celebrate birthdays nowadays.

   —I (think) you’re very mean.

   —No, I’m not mean, but practical.

i  —Caroline (read) people’s palms very well.

   —I (not believe) in it.

j  We only (purchase) high-quality products.

k  This suit (look) neat, doesn’t it?

l  —You (want) some water in your whisky?

   —No, I always (drink) it neat.

m  —Mummy! I have lent my friends a lot of things, but they

   (not give) them back to me.

   —It (serve) you right! I told you so!

n  She (loathe) carving meat.

o  If I (mop) the floor, will you do the dishes?

p  This phenomenon (occur) once in a blue moon.

q  —Why he (not do) it the other way round?

   —I (not know).

r  We often (not use) the word ‘chamber’ to mean ‘bedroom’

   nowadays, but it was quite common in Victorian times.

s  She never (buy) eggs, because they (upset) her.

t  Whenever he (try) to be polite, he (put) his foot in it.

u  Every time I (ask) her to keep still, she (reply) that she is

   a very nervous girl, and that she can’t.

v  She always (turn) up late when she has a date with someone.

w  You’ll die frostbite out there! Why you (not come) in?

x  He (keep) in touch with his niece?

y  They (not use) fertilizer. They (say) it’s very dear.

z  This place (conjure) up my childhood.

   PART 2: THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS (OR PROGRESSIVE) TENSE

1  Examples: (form: subject + be6 + verb-ing; affirmative)

   They are wasting (are + waste + ing) their time. They should

   employ their leisure time better.

   I’m seeing (am + see + ing) my nephew this afternoon.

   It’s getting (is + get + ing) late.

   I am wearing (am + wear + ing) spectacles today, because I

   can’t find my contact lenses.

   It is beginning (is + begin + ing) to rain.

   We’re visiting (are + visit + ing) Paul’s grandson tomorrow.

   He is travelling (is + travel + ing) around the country.

   The milk is boiling (is + boil + ing).

   She’s dying (is + die + ing) of cancer.

   Don’t bother me now! I am enjoying (am + enjoy + ing) my pipe.

   We are hurrying (are + hurry + ing) today because we’ve got

   an appointment at half past five, and it is already half past

   five.

   A new theatre is being (is + be + ing) built.

   They are trafficking (traffic + ing) in stolen goods now.

   When -ing is added to the infinitive, we must bear in mind

   the following changes:

     —waste: e is preceded by a consonant, so the e is dropped.

     The verbs be, age, dye, singe and eye are exceptions:

     be→being, age→ageing, dye→dyeing, singe→singeing, eye→eyeing.

     ‘Aging’ and ‘eying’ are also possible, particularly in

     American English.

     —see: e is preceded by a vowel; therefore, the e

     is maintained. Nonetheless, the e is very often left out in

     queue and glue: queuing (or queueing), gluing (or glueing).

     If an infinitive ends in -gue or -que, we drop the e, as in

     argue→arguing, burlesque→burlesquing. Note also continue→

     continuing, rescue→rescuing.

     —get: If we have the following combination: consonant +

     only one vowel + only one consonant (that is, get ends

     in only one consonant and it is preceded by only one vowel),

     we double the final consonant (get→getting). However,

     the verb must be monosyllabic to follow this rule. Note that

     the consonants w, x and y are not doubled. Eg blow→blowing,

     mix→mixing. Observe that the k is also doubled when it is

     preceded by only one vowel: trek→trekking.

     —wear: We have two vowels before the r; consequently,

     the consonant is not doubled. Observe the following: bias→

     biasing or biassing.

     —begin: The same rule as get, but the verb is bisyllabic.

     In this case, the stress must fall on the second syllable.

     Kidnap and worship are exceptions7 to this rule: kidnapping,

     worshipping. Other exceptions to this rule are format

     and program→formatting, programming. See also part 3,

     section 1 in this unit.

     —visit: The stress does not fall on the second syllable,

     so we do not double the consonant.

     —travel: When a verb ends in an -l, the consonant is

     usually doubled in British English, but there are

     some exceptions. Boil is one. Americans write these

     words with only one l: traveling. Note also that the

     infinitive ‘install’ is written with two “l’s” in British

     English, but with one in American English; the infinitive

     ‘enrol’, with only one in British English, but with two

     in American English:

British English	American English
install→installing enrol→enrolling	instal→instaling enroll→enrolling

     —die: ie + ing = ying. For instance: die→dying, lie→lying,

     tie→tying; vie→vying.

     —hurry, enjoy: Both y and i are kept.

     —traffic: Verbs ending in ic add an additional k.

a  They always8 (plot) something against the government.

b  He (get) over his illness.

c  I (have) a haircut this afternoon.

d  She all the time (lie) in the garden, instead of studying!

e  You (put) on weight! You should go on a diet.

2  Examples: (negative and interrogative)

   They are looking out of the window/They’re looking out of

   the window. (affirmative)

   They are not looking out of the window/They aren’t looking out

   of the window/They’re not looking out of the window.

   (negative)

   Are they looking out of the window? (interrogative)

   Are they not looking out of the window?/Aren’t they looking out

   of the window? (negative interrogative)

   He is looking through the window/He’s looking through the

   window. (affirmative)

   He is not looking through the window/He isn’t looking

   through the window/He’s not looking through the window.

   (negative)

   Is he looking through the window? (interrogative)

   Is he not looking through the window?/Isn’t he looking through

   the window? (negative interrogative)

   I am having a great time in Majorca/I’m having a great time

   in Majorca. (affirmative)

   I am not having a great time in Majorca/I’m not having a great

   time in Majorca. (negative)

   Am I having a great time in Majorca? (interrogative)

   Am I not having a great time in Majorca? (negative

   interrogative)

a  I (not die) to see her!

b  You (not go) to have it translated?

c  She (phone) him again?

d  The sun (not shine) now.

e  —What the hell you (do)?

   —Nothing!