PRESENT SIMPLE OR PRESENT CONTINUOUS?

1. Complete the passage with the correct form of the verbs in the box. Use the simple present or present continuous tense.

learn (2) / think / enjoy / spend / watch (2) /  know

Many parents think that their children (1.) ______________ too much time in front of the TV, but TV can be educational. For example, Sylvia and Eddie (2.) ____________ an interesting TV program on animals now. Another program they (3.)____________is about the latest developments in computer technology. Sylvia now (4.)____________ how to send e-mail and how to use the Internet. Eddie (5.)____________about all the new computer games. Sylvia and Eddie's parents don't worry about TV; they (6.) ____________ their children (7.) ____________ a lot from the programs they (8.) _____________.

2. Complete the conversation with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses. Use the simple present or present continuous tense.

BOB:    Hey, Pat. What (1. you/do) ___________________?

PAT:    Hi, Bob. I (2. listen)__________________ to the latest CD by The Broken Bones Band.

BOB:    Oh yeah? I (3. hear)______________  they have some great songs on there.

PAT:    They do. I really (4. like) ___"Crash" and "Forget About It."

BOB:    I (5. know, neg.)__________________ those songs, but I love their old ones.

PAT:    What (6. you/do) _____________________ after class? (7. you/want) ____________________ to come over to my place and _____________ (8. listen) to their new CD?

BOB:    That (8. sound) ____________ great, but I can't. I (9. have) _____________

an appointment. I (10. meet) ________________ an old friend this evening.

PAT:    Too bad. Another time, maybe.

3. Complete the text with the present simple or present continuous form of the verbs in brackets.

I 1_____________________ (travel/ often) to other countries, so I 2_______________ (spend) a lot of time at airports. Today I 3_______________ (travel) to Greece and at the moment I 4__________________ (wait) for my plane. But I 5________________ (waste) my time. What 6_________________ (I/ do)? I 7____________ (play) my favorite game — people-watching. Whenever I have the time, I 8__________________ (watch) other people.

Take that couple, for example. They 9_____________ (buy) magazines at the moment. 10____________________ (they/ go) on holiday or 11_______________ (they/ travel) on business? They 12_________________ (wear) business clothes, but he 13________________ (carry) a briefcase. Every few seconds she looks round. 14__________________ (someone/ follow) them? Perhaps they 15_________________ (run) away and ... Just a minute, there 16_________ (be) a story in this newspaper. A bank clerk stole one million pounds last week and disappeared with his wife. There 17______________ (be) a picture of them here. Hmmm, they 18_____________ (look) similar. That's it! The money 19_____________ (be) in the briefcase. I must stop them.

They 19______________ (go) to the departure lounge now. Quick. Oh, just a minute. They 20__________________ (say) goodbye to each other. The woman 21_______________ (not/ go) into the departure lounge. She 22_______________ (walk) away. Oh well, I 23__________ (be) excited. Oh, what 24__________________ (she/ do) now? She 25_______________ (talk) to another man. They 26_____________ (kiss). Now, I wonder ...

4. Complete the text with the present simple or present continuous form of the verbs in brackets.

I 1____________ (work) for a construction company. We 2____________(build) roads, dams, bridges and things like that. At the moment my company 3____________ (produce) a plan for a new motorway. I usually 4______________(work) in the roads department, but this month I 5______________(work) in the department that 6______________ (build) bridges. So my whole working day is different just now. I normally 7_____________(spend) a lot of time outdoors, because I 8_______(go) to the construction sites. But with this new project I 9_____________ (spend) a lot of time in the workshop. At the moment we 10_________________(test) a model of one of the new bridges. I 11___________ (enjoy) it a lot, because I 12____________ (learn) a lot of new things.

5. Use the words in parentheses to complete the sentences .Use the Simple Present or Present Continuous.

1.       Alice is in her room right now . She …………………… (read) a book . She ……………………  (like) the book.

2.      It …………………… (snow) right now . It’s beautiful! I …………………… (like) this weather.

3.      I …………………… (know) Jessica Jones. She’s in my class.

4.      The teacher …………………… (talk) to us right now. I …………………… (understand) everything she’s saying.

5.      Don is at a restaurant right now. He …………………… (eat) dinner. He …………………… (like) the food. It …………………… (taste) good.

6.      Look at the little girl! She _________________ (smell) the flowers in the garden one by one.

7.      Jason …………………… (tell) us a story right now . I …………………… (believe) his story. I …………………… (think) that his story is true.

8.      Ugh! The cigar …………………… (smell) terrible.

9.      Look at the picture. Jane …………………… (sit) in a chair. A cat …………………… (sit) on her lap. Jane …………………… (hate) cats.

10.   Look at the picture. Mr. Allen …………………… (hold) a cat. He …………………… (love) the cat. The cat …………………… (lick) Mr. Allen’s face.

11.    The teacher …………………… (shout) in the class right now. It …………………… (mean) she’s very angry.

12.   The movie is really boring ! I …………………… (want) to go home.

13.   I’m going to the shops. …………… you ………………… (need) anything?

6. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense, Present Simple or Present Continuous.

A: Can I help you, sir?

B: Yes, please. I (1)..........................(look) for a birth­day present for my wife.

A: I see. What kind of things (2)...................(she/like)?

B: Oh, she (3)...........................(enjoy) reading books on interior decorating and she (4)........................... (love) listening to Latin music.

A: How about this book then? It (5) ......................... (have) over a hundred pages of different ways to decorate your home and lots of pictures, too.

B: I (6) ............................. (not/know) about that. Is there anything else you could show me?

A: Well, sir. I (7)............................(believe) this set of CD s with Latin bands is an excellent choice. Your wife will enjoy it very much.

B: How much is it?

A: It (8)..................(cost) £25. They're on special offer.

B: Okay, then. I just (9)......................(hope) she won't play the music too loud because I (10)...................... (hate) Latin music!!

Simple present/Present continuous-Comparative and Superlative adjectives

Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the verbs in the simple present or
present continuous tense. You can use some of the verbs from the box more than 
once. 

BUY-CARRY-DO-COST-GO-LIKE-MISS-PLAY-STAND-TAKE-TRAVEL-USE-VISIT-WATCH-WORK

1 My brother ________________________ this CD very much.
2 He __________________________ in China this summer.
3 We __________________________ to lunch now. Would you like to
join us?
4 We always __________________________ Grandma on Sundays.
5 In this photo, we __________________________ volleyball on the beach.
6 I __________________________ tennis every day.
7 My father can’t come to the phone now. He __________________________ a shower.
8 My father __________________________ as an accountant in a big company.
9 I think this pen __________________________ HK$8.
10 I can’t play online games now. My brother __________________________ the computer to do
his homework.
11 A: ______________ you ___________________ your homework now?
B: Yes, I __________________________.
12 This photo was taken when I was three. My father __________________________ me on his
shoulders.
13 People ______________ always ___________________ new mobile phones.
14 Can you see Anna? She __________________________ at the bus stop.
15 ______________ you still ___________________ TV?
16 A: ______________ they _________________ to Ocean Park on Sunday?
B: No, they __________________________.
17 She often __________________________ class because of illness.
18 A: ______________ you _________________ Kelly Chan’s songs?
B: Yes, I ______________, but my brother _________________.


Too Much Fast Food?

According to a recent survey, Hong Kong consumers are....... (1) more money on convenience
foods since the economic downturn. Because companies are trying to make do with fewer staff,
employees are....... (2) harder than ever before. More women........ (3) joining the workforce as well.
They....... (4) less time to prepare nutritious home-cooked meals for their families. Instead,
families....... (5) out or...... (6) convenience foods, such as frozen pizzas and instant noodles. These
foods....... (7) more fat, salt and sugar than home-cooked meals. Experts say that eating too much
of them.......(8) the risk of serious health problems, including diabetes and heart disease.
However, the trend towards convenience foods....... (9) benefitting some business sectors.
Supermarkets are....... (10) to the higher demand for quick, easy-to-serve meals by increasing their
selection of convenience and pre-packaged foods. These products often....... (11) for higher
prices than fresh food. Restaurants also........ (12) from the trend: most Hong Kong people now
 .......(13) out at least once a day.
Is convenience food just a fad or is home-cooked food .......(14) a thing of the past?
How .......(15) this trend affecting our health?


1 A spending
B spends
C spent
2 A work
B works
C working
3 A is
B are
C be
4 A has
B have
C had
5 A eating
B eats
C eat
6 A bought
B buys
C buy
7 A containing
B contains
C contain
8 A increase
B increasing
C increases
9 A is
B are
C be
10 A respond
B responded
C responding
11 A sells
B sell
C selling
12 A profit
B profiting
C profits
13 A eat
B ate
C were eating
14 A become
B became
C becoming
15 A does
B is
C have

adjectives: comparative and superlative 


1. Complete the chart with the comparatives and superlatives: 

Adjective              Comparative                 Superlative
long                      longer than                     the longest
fast                       faster than                        ...........
pretty                  ...........                            the prettiest
beautiful               more beautiful than           .............
ugly                     uglier than                          .............
thin                     ...........                             the thinnest
fashionable           more fashionable than      .............

2. Write the comparative: 

a. old older f. good
b. strong g. large
c. happy h. serious
d. modern i. pretty
e. important j. bad

3. Complete the sentences with a superlative: 

a. This building is very old. It’s the oldest buildings in the town.
b. It was a very happy day. It was............................... of my life.
c. It’s a very good film. It’s................................... I’ve seen.
d. It was a very bad mistake. It was.......................................... in my life.
e. It was a very cold day. It was............................................... of the year.
f. She’s a popular singer. She’s................................................ in the country.
g. He’s a very boring person. He’s................................................... I know.
h. This house is very big. It is................................................... I’ve lived in.
i. My cousin is very tall. He is....................................................... I have.
j. Laura is a very pretty girl. She is............................................... I know.

4. Choose the correct answer: 

a. Tom’s car is as big as / the biggest his friend’s.
b. Who is shorter than / the shortest person in your family?
c. Who is more independent than / the most independent person you know?
d. These sofas are more comfortable than / the most comfortable ours.
e. My brother is taller than / the tallest in the class.
f. Is Jason’s dog older than / the oldest yours?
g. Who is the best / better than singer in the world?
h. We are younger than / the youngest the rest of the class.
i. My hair is the straightest / straighter than your hair.
j. He is more popular / the most popular singer in the world.

5. Write the sentences in the correct order: 

a. taller / than / Gary / Rick / is.
Gary is taller than Rick.

b. trousers / John / got / has / new / light.

c. Mary / clothes / likes / bigger

d. an / expensive / Rick / wearing / coat / is

e. the / Carol / has / scarf / got / shortest

f. the / student / he / tallest / is

g. actress / Mary / the / was / popular / most

h. He / the / was / footballer / best

i. plays / than / better / you / Mary

j. father / is / your / than / stronger / mine

6. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the adjective in brackets: 

a. Carol is as good (good) as you at sport.

b. We like wearing the.................. (late) fashion.
c. These trousers are ____________________ (comfortable) than those jeans.
d. She is ______________________ (happy) now than he was last year.
e. You are the ________________________ (pretty) girl in class.
f. My grandma is _______________________ (old) than my grandpa.
g. The red dress is the ______________________ (attractive) in the shop.
h. I always tell the _______________________ (fun) jokes.
i. Your hair is ____________________ (curly) than my hair.
j. My hair is ______________________ (short) than yours.

Relative Clauses

1. Make one sentence from two. Use the appropriate relative pronoun.

• The girl injured in the accident is now in hospital.
• The man who answered the phone told me you were away.
• The waitress who served us was very impolite and impatient.
• The building destroyed in the fire has now been rebuilt.

2. Put in WHAT or a THAT in the sentences as it corresponds.

• I gave her all the money THAT I had.
• They give their children everything THAT they want.
• Tell me WHAT you want and I’ll try to get it for you.
• Why do you blame me for everything THAT goes wrong?
• I can lend you ten pounds. It’s all THAT I’ve got in my wallet.
• I don’t agree with WHAT you’ve just said.

3. Complete each sentence using WHO / WHOM/ WHOSE / WHERE

• A pacifist is a person WHO believes that all wars are wrong.
• An orphan is a child WHOSE parents are dead-
• The place WHERE we spent our holidays was really beautiful.
• This school is only for children WHOSE first language is not English.
• I don’t know the name of the woman to WHOM I spoke on the phone.

4. Make one sentence using relative pronouns. Decide if the information is necessary or not, i.e. 
defining or non-defining relative clauses?

* The woman living next door is a doctor
* My brother Jim, who lives in London, is a fireman
* The strike at the car factory, which lasted ten days, is now over.
* I’ve found the book I was looking for this morning
* The population of London, which was once the largest city in the world, is now falling

Exercise on Conditionals

.1   PLACE THE SENTENCES UNDER THE CORRECT HEADING

ZERO CONDITIONAL	FIRST CONDITIONAL	SECOND CONDITIONAL

a.      He would be angry if he found out.

b.      We´ll miss the train if we don´t hurry.

c.       If you go the shops, get me some coffee.

d.      It would cost less if you took the train.

e.      When he gets angry, he never says sorry.

f.        If it gets warm, it melts.

g.      We´d buy it if we had enough money.

h.      If he sees it, he´ll get angry.

i.        If you arrive early, you´ll get a good seat.

j.        I´d do it if I knew how.

2.      II CONDITIONAL: Can you remember these sentences?

a.      If I……………………….her number, I´d call her.

b.      She´d do it if she………………………..how.

c.       I wouldn´t do it if I ………………you.

d.      If we…………………in the country, we´d need a second car.

e.      If there………………..less cars on the road, there would be less pollution.

f.        You would meet more people if you ………………out more often.

g.      If you…………………harder, you´d get better results.

h.      If the weather ……………….good, we could go to the beach.

3.      FIRST AND SECOND CONDITIONAL: Match the questions and answers.

If he gets here in time,	You´d be there before lunch.
If he got here in time,	You´ll like him.
If you see him,	You´d get out for a walk more often.
If you saw him,	You´ll be there for lunch.
If you go at ten,	You´ll use it all the time.
If you went before ten,	We can have a drink before the film.
If you buy it,	You´d like him.
If you bought it,	You´ll get out for a walk more often.
If you get a dog,	You´d use it all the time.
If you got a dog,	We could have a drink before the film

IT II/2DO CUAT/SISTEMAS/TN

FIRST CONDITIONAL PRACTICE: Complete the sentences

a.   If the seminar…………..(begin) at 9:00, we will be on time.
b.   If the customer…………..(call), I´ll tell her you´ll contact her first thing tomorrow.
c.    If you inform us of any problems by 10 am, we ……………..(fix) the same day.
d.   If you adopt this marketing strategy, your profits…………….(increase) dramatically.
e.   Your employees………….(learn) all they need to know about the program if you send them to this training session.
f.     If I………………(meet) the customer tomorrow, I………….(give)her your card.
g.   Your company…………(do) better financially if you…………..(produce) for the international market.
h.   If you ……….(think) positively, you…………..(succeed)

B) SECOND CONDITIONAL PRACTICE: Put the verb into the correct tense

1. If I _________________ (be) you, I _________________ (get) a new job. 

2. If he _________________ (be) younger, he _________________ (travel) 
more. 

3. If we _________________ (not / be) friends, I _________________ (be) 
angry with you. 

4. If I _________________ (have) enough money, I _________________ (buy) 
a big house.

5. If she _________________ (not / be) always so late, she _________________ 
(be) promoted. 

6. If we _________________ (win) the lottery, we _________________ (travel) 
the world. 

7. If you _________________ (have) a better job, we _________________ (be) 
able to buy a new car.

8. If I _________________ (speak) perfect English, I _________________ 
(have) a good job. 

9. If we _________________ (live) in Mexico, I _________________ (speak) 
Spanish. 

10. If she _________________ (pass) the exam, she _________________ (be) 
able to enter university. 

11. She _________________ (be) happier if she _________________ (have) 
more friends. 

12. We _________________ (buy) a house if we _________________ (decide) to 
stay here. 

13. They _________________ (have) more money if they _________________ 
(not / buy) so many clothes.

14. We _________________ (come) to dinner if we _________________ (have) 
time. 

15. She _________________ (call) him if she _________________ (know) his 
number. 

16. They _________________ (go) to Spain on holiday if they _______________ 
(like) hot weather. 

17. She _________________ (pass) the exam if she _________________ (study) 
more. 

18. I _________________ (marry) someone famous if I _________________ (be) 
a movie star. 

19. We never _________________ (be) late again if we _________________ 
(buy) a new car. 


20. You _________________ (lose) weight if you _________________ (eat) less.

C) ZERO CONDITIONAL PRACTICE: Match the beginnings of the sentences to the correct endings. 

1. If you mix black and white,                                                  a. it floats.

2. If you don't water flowers,                                                    b. it turns to ice. 

3. When you heat ice,                                                              c. you get dough. 

4. If you freeze water,                                                               d. it melts. 

5. When you tickle her,                                                             e. they die. 

6. If you mix flour and water,                                                     f. she laughs. 

7. When the teacher gives us homework, 

                                                                                                    g. you get grey. 
8. If you pour oil on water,

                                                                                                    h. she always does it.



Choose the best answer from the options below to complete the sentences:

Chocolate (1)__________ when you heat it. 
She hardly ever drinks alcohol so (2) __________ just one glass of wine, 
she gets drunk.
(3)__________ coffee, I always (4)__________ a cup. 
She's a really good friend, (5)__________ a problem, I (6)__________to 
her and she helps me solve it. 
If (7)__________ rainy and sunny at the same time, you sometimes 
(8)__________ a rainbow. 

Options:

(1) melting / melts / melt 
(2) if she drink / if she drank / if she drinks 
(3) When I smells / When I smell / When smell
(4) wanting / want / wants 
(5) if I have / if I will have / if I had
(6) talk / will talk / have talked
(7) it / is / it's 

(8) see / saw / seen 

WH-Question Making (IT II- RRHH)

A)Make questions for the part in bold:

1.     They do their homework at night.  

2.     Mr. Robertson came to the party alone.  

3.     The car is across the street from the house. 

4.     I like the red blouse, not the blue one.  

5.     She felt better after she took a nap. 

6.     That is an English book. 

7.     My sister called her boyfriend yesterday 

8.     She talked to him for an hour.  

9.     He studies piano at the university.

10. The party lasted all night.  

11. The check was for $5.50.  

12. She eats a sandwich.  

13. She is working hard.  

14. My parents have two cars. 

15. They are coming to visit tomorrow.

16. He is going to work right now.

17. The man with the white hat is my brother.

18. I don’t get up early because I like to sleep late. 

19. We have an English class every day.  

20. They like to dance on weekends.  

21. The club is not far from their house.  

22. Their favorite kind of music is Latin Jazz.  

23. I didn’t bring my dictionary today.  

2       24. They are singing popular songs. …………………………………………….

       B. Make questions for the words in brackets

11. They study (English) every Tuesday morning. 
22. Romi goes to school (by bus).
33. The teacher explains the lesson (in front of the class). 
44. My brother does his homework (carefully).
55. My daughter washes her hair (twice a week).
66. John loves eating (pizza). 
77. Fenny invites (Bimo) to come to her birthday party.
88. Olga sings a song (beautifully).
99. Shanti gets up (at five).
110. Harry doesn't go to school (because he is sick).
111. Mother cooks (rice) in the kitchen.
112. Tommy rides his bike (very fast). 
113. Thalia (has breakfast) before going to school.
114. I gave (Mario) a birthday present.
115. Mario celebrates (his birthday) in September.
116. The students listen to (the teacher's explanation).
117. I like (the white T-shirt), not the red one.
118. Julia has (two brothers). 
119. The little boys play (hide and seek).
220. Sammy closes the windows (because it's going to rain).

Final del formulario

IT II/ SIST/2DO CUAT/TN

 Complete the sentences with Simple Past or Present Perfect:

1. A: Did you like the movie "Star Wars?"
B: I don't know. I.................(see, never)  that movie.

2. Sam................ (arrive)  in San Diego a week ago.

3. My best friend and I............. (know)  each other for over fifteen years. We still get together once a week.

4. Stinson is a fantastic writer. He................(write)  ten very creative short stories in the last year. One day, he'll be as famous as Hemingway.

5. I................ (have, not)  this much fun since I........... (be)  a kid.

6. Things.............. (change)  a great deal at Coltech, Inc. When we first............. (start)  working here three years ago, the company..................... (have, only)  six employees. Since then, we............... (expand)  to include more than 2000 full-time workers.

7. I .............(tell)  him to stay on the path while he was hiking, but he................ (wander)  off into the forest and.............(be)  bitten by a snake.

8. Listen Donna, I don't care if you.............. (miss)  the bus this morning. You............... (be)  late to work too many times. You are fired!

9. Sam is from Colorado, which is hundreds of miles from the coast, so he...................... (see, never)  the ocean. He should come with us to Miami.

10. How sad! George...............(dream)  of going to California before he died, but he didn't make it. He..................(see, never) the ocean.

11. In the last hundred years, traveling ..................(become)  much easier and very comfortable. In the 19th century, it............... (take)  two or three months to cross North America by covered wagon. The trip............. (be)  very rough and often dangerous. Things.............. (change)  a great deal in the last hundred and fifty years. Now you can fly from New York to Los Angeles in a matter of hours.

12. Jonny, I can't believe how much you............ (change)  since the last time I ..........(see)  you. You............. (grow)  at least a foot!

13. This tree.............. (be)  planted by the settlers who............... (found)  our city over four hundred years ago.

14. This mountain ................(be, never)  climbed by anyone. Several mountaineers ...............(try)  to reach the top, but nobody.................. (succeed, ever) . The climb is extremely difficult and many people.............. (die)  trying to reach the summit.

15. I................ (visit, never)  Africa, but I............... (travel)  to South America several times. The last time I...................(go)  to South America, I................(visit)  Brazil and Peru. I..................... (spend)  two weeks in the Amazon, .................(hike)  for a week near Machu Picchu, and......... (fly)  over the Nazca Lines.

b. Complete the text with Present Perfect or Simple Past:

ince computers were first introduced to the public in the early 1980's, technology (change)  a great deal. The first computers............ (be)  simple machines designed for basic tasks. They.............. (have, not)  much memory and they ............(be, not)  very powerful. Early computers were often quite expensive and customers often............. (pay)  thousands of dollars for machines which actually.............. (do)  very little. Most computers............(be)  separate, individual machines used mostly as expensive typewriters or for playing games.

Times............. (change) . Computers........... (become)  powerful machines with very practical applications. Programmers.............(create)  a large selection of useful programs which do everything from teaching foreign languages to bookkeeping. We are still playing video games, but today's games.............. (become)  faster, more exciting interactive adventures. Many computer users.......... (get, also)  on the Internet and..............(begin)  communicating with other computer users around the world. We............. (start)  to create international communities online. In short, the simple, individual machines of the past............. (evolve)  into an international World Wide Web of knowledge.