GRAMMAR UNIT 1 Present simple, present continuous, past simple, past continuous

STATIVE VERBS
Indican un estado ms que una accin y suelen usarse en PRESENT SIMPLE. Estn relacionados con:

las emociones y los sentimientos (dislike, enjoy, hate, hope, like, love, prefer, want),
el pensamiento y la opinin (believe, forget, guess, know, remember, think, understand),
la percepcin y los sentidos (feel, hear, see, smell, sound, taste, touch),
los precios y las medidas (cost, measure, weigh) y
la posesin (belong, have, own).

Algunos indican tanto estado como actividad y pueden usarse en present simple y en present continuous.
Donna thinks the book is wonderful (estado)
He is thinking about going to Malta in the summer (actividad)
El verbo see en present continuous indica una accin futura fijada de antemano.
We are seeing Ann tonight (ya hemos quedado)
1. Complete the sentences with the verbs in brackets. Use the present simple or present continuous.
1. Susana ____________ (study) French this term.
2. ____________ Joe ____________ (discuss) his ideas with you?
3. This is fantastic! Our team ____________ (win) the match!
4. Why ____________ you ____________ (try) to do that now?
5. That kind of car ____________ (use) a lot of petrol.
6. Im sorry, but I (not remember) your name.
7. I ____________ (not go) to school tomorrow.
8. Penguins ____________ (live) only in the southern hemisphere.
STATIVE VERBS Some stative verbs such as think, see, look, have and weigh can refer to an action
as well as a state. When these verbs refer to an action, we can use the present continuous.
2. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Decide if the verb refers to a
state or an action.
1. We ___________ of going on holidays next month. Where _________ you _________ we should go? (think)
2. Dad ____________ the soup. Im sure it ____________ very good (taste)
3. He ____________ at the book now. It ____________ interesting (look)
4. ____________ he ____________ the tomatoes now? How much ___________ they ___________? (weigh)

5. Our friends ____________ a new swimming pool. They ____________ a pool party this Sunday (have)
3. Complete the passage with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the present simple or
present continuous.

Dont Be a Victim
Its now late at night, and Paula ____________ (sit) at her computer. She ____________ (open) her favourite
site, Facebook. Like millions of other Facebook users, Paula ____________ (enjoy) sharing details of her life
with her online friends. But she ____________ (not realise) that by doing this, she might be inviting
criminals to take over her identity. A typical Facebook user ____________ (provide) valuable information, such
as date of birth, mobile-phone number and a home address. Cyber-criminals often ____________ (use) this
information to become that person and access their bank account. UK police are so concerned about this that
they ____________ (now plan) a national e-crime unit to deal with the problem. You can avoid becoming a
victim: make sure you choose the option that ____________ (allow) only your friends to view your personal
details.

PAST SIMPLE VS PAST CONTINUOUS

El PAST SIMPLE se utiliza para indicar que una accin corta (introducida por when) ocurri cuando otra ms
larga estaba en proceso.
El PAST CONTINUOUS se utiliza para expresar que una accin larga estaba en proceso cuando ocurri una
corta. La larga va precedida de while o as y la corta, de when.
As I was speaking on the phone, Max entered the room.
He was going home when the detective called him.
4. Complete each sentence with a suitable verb below. Use the past simple or past continuous.
arrive call not talk not finish wash
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The men fell as they ____________ the windows.

When ____________ the ambulance ____________?
I was getting ready for bed when Karla ____________ me.
Pat ____________ his meal because he wasnt hungry.
Why were you listening? I ____________ to you!

5. Complete the sentences with the verbs in brackets. Use the past simple or past continuous.
1. Alice ____________ (notice) that a stranger ____________ (follow) her.
2. What ____________ you ____________ (sing) while you ____________ (have) a shower?
3. There was a lot of noise last night when I ____________ (call) you. What ____________ you
____________ (do)?
4. The teacher ____________ (explain) the rules when someone ____________ (interrupt) him.
5. Julia ____________ (arrive) as we ____________ (have) dinner.
6. Everyone ____________ (sleep) when suddenly someone ____________ (knock) on the door.

6. Complete the sentences with the present simple, the present continuous, the past simple or the past
continuous.
1. Portuguese banks _______________ (to open) at 8 o'clock.
2. They always _______________ (to play) the piano in the evening.
3. Yesterday she ___________ (not/to be) in a good mood.
4. Last year she _______________ (to spend) most of her time on the beach.
5. I _________________ (not/to eat) fish since I was eleven.
6. I ________________ (to listen) to music when you _______________ (to phone) last night.
7. ______________ (she/to go) to Spain two years ago?
8. She _______________ (usually/to go) to school by bus.
9. She ________________ (to give) him a watch yesterday.
10. He _________________ (to swim) three miles every day.
11. Where _________________ (you/to go) for a holiday last year? I _____________ (go) to London.
12. My mother _____________ (not/to like) vegetables and so we _____________ (not/to eat) soup very often.
13. She usually ________________ (to go) to work by car but this week she _______________ (to go) by bus.
14. Peter can't come to the phone right now. He _________________ (to have) a shower.
15. While they _________________ (to have) dinner, someone ______________ (to knock) at the door.
7. A. Complete each sentence with the suitable phrasal verb in the correct tense.
give up run out of set off take off turn back watch out
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

We ____________ at 6 am tomorrow.
____________ when you cross the road.
The plane ____________ when it had an engine failure.
It was snowing and it was getting difficult to walk, so we decided to ____________.
We couldnt find the way to the lake and we finally ____________.
I was driving home when I ____________ petrol.

B. Match the phrasal verbs in A to their meaning.

a. Leave the ground and start flying.
b. Return to where you started.
c. Not have enough
d. Start a trip
e. Stop trying
f. Be careful