Get become change rise improve fall increase

You don't have to use all the verbs and you can use some of them more than once.

Example: The population of the world is rising very fast.

1. The number of people without jobs ………...…….. at the moment.

2. He is still ill but he ………………………... better slowly.

3. These days food ………………………… more and more expensive.

4. The world …………………. Things never stay the same.

5. The cost of living ……………….... Every year things are dearer.

6. George has gone to work in Spain. When he arrived, his Spanish wasn't very good but now it ………………………….

7. The economic situation is already very bad and it …………………….. worse.

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Read this conversation between Brian and Steve. Put each verb into the correct form.

The first one has already been done for you.

Brian and Steve meet in a restaurant:

Brian: Hello, Steve. I haven't seen you for ages. What (1) are you doing (you/do)

these days?

Steve: I (2) ……………………. (train) to be a shop manager.

Brian: Really? (3) ………………… (you/enjoy) it?

Steve: Yes, it's quite interesting. How about you?

Brian: Well, I (4) …………………… (not/work) at the moment, but I'm very busy.

I (5) ………………….. (build) a house.

Steve: Really? (6) …………………………………….. (you/do) it alone)?

Brian: No, some friends of mine (7) ……………………………... (help) me.

UNIT 2 Present simple (I do)

a) Study this example situation.

Alex is a bus driver. But now he is asleep in bed. So: He is not driving a bus (he is asleep) But: He drivesa bus. This is the present simple tense: I / we / you / they drive he / she / (it) drives

 

We use the present simple to talk about things in general. We are not thinking only about the present. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general. It is not important whether the action is happening at the time of speaking:

- The earth goes round the sun.

- Nurses look after patients in hospitals.

- In Britain most of the shops close at 5.30 p.m.

Remember that we say he / she / it - s. Don't forget the s:

- I work in a bank. Barry works in a shop.

b) We use do / does to make questions and negative sentences:

do I / we / you / they does he / she / it

I / we / you / they don't he / she / it doesn't

 

- Excuse me, do you speak English?

- 'Would you like a cigarette?' 'No, thanks. I don't smoke.'

- What does this word mean? (not 'What means this word?')

- Rice doesn't grow in Britain.

c) We use the present simple when we say how often we do things:

-I get up at 8 o'clock every morning. (not 'am getting')

- How often do you go tothe dentist?

- Ann doesn't often drink tea.

- Insummer Tom usually plays tennis twice a week.

d) Note that we say 'Where do you come from?' (= Where are you from?):

- Where do you come from? (not 'Where are you coming from?')

- He comes from Japan (not 'He is coming from Japan.')

e) When you make a suggestion, you can say Why don't you...?:

- 'I'm tired.’ 'Why don't you go to bed early?'

 

Exercises

2.1 In this exercise you have to put the verb into the correct form.

Examples: Water boils (boil) at 100 degrees centigrade.

George doesn’t go (not/go) to the cinema very often.

How many languages do you speak (you/speak)?

1. The swimming bath …………………. (open) at 9.00 and ………………… (close)

at 18.30 every day.

2. What time ………………………… (the banks/close) in Britain?

3. I have a car but I ……………………… (not/use) it very often.

4. How many cigarettes ………………………… (you/smoke) a day?

5. 'What …………………........... (you/do)?' 'I'm an electrical engineer.'

6. 'Where ………………………... (your father/come) from?' 'He ……………………

(come) from Scotland.'

7. If you need money, why ……………………………... (you / not / get) a job?

8. I ……………………… (play) the piano, but I …………………. (not/play) very well.

9. I don't understand the word 'deceive'. What …………………… ('deceive' / mean)?

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2.2 This time you have to read some sentences and correct them. The English is correct but the information is wrong. Write two correct sentences each time.

Example: The sun goes round the earth. The sun doesn’t go round the earth.

The earth goes round the sun.

1. The sun rises in the west. …………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2. Mice catch cats. …………………………………………………………………………………………...…..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3. Carpenters make things from metal. …………………………………………………………...….....

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

4. The River Amazon flows into the Pacific Ocean. ………………………………….…………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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2.3 Now you have to use these sentences to make questions. Begin your question with the word(s) in brackets.

Examples: Tom plays tennis. (How often?) How often does Tom play tennis?

I get up in the morning. (What time/usually?) What time do you usually get up?

1. Ann watches television. (How often?) How often ………………………….…………………………

2. I write to my parents. (How often?) ……………………………………………………………………...….

3. I have dinner in the evening? (What time /usually?) …………………………………………………

4. Tom works. (Where?) …………………………………………………………………………………………..…

5. I go to the cinema. (How often?) ……………………………………………………………………………..

6. People do stupid things. (Why?) ………………………………………………………………………….…..

7. The car breaks down. (How often?) ……………………………………………………………………..…..

UNIT 3 Present continuous (I am doing) or present simple (I do)?

 

a) Study this explanation and compare the examples:

Present continuous (I am doing) Use the present continuous to talk about something which is happening at or around the time of speaking:	Present simple (I do) Use the present simple to talk about things in general or things which happen repeatedly:
past now future	past now future
The kettle is boiling.Can you turn it off, please?	Water boilsat 100 degrees Celsius.
Listen to those people. What languagearethey speaking?	Excuse me, doyou speakEnglish?
'Where's Tom? ' 'He's playingtennis.' (you find a stranger in your room) What areyou doinghere?	Tom playstennis every Saturday. What doyou usually doat weekends? What doyou do?(= What's your job?)
Silvia is in Britain for three months. She's learningEnglish.	Most people learnto swim when they are children.
Use the present continuous for a temporary situation:	Use the present simple for a permanent situation:
I'm livingwith some friends until I can find a flat.	My parents livein London. They have been there for 20 years.
That machine isn't working.It broke down this morning.	That machine doesn't work.It hasn't worked for years.

 

b) Some verbs are used only in simple tenses. For example, you cannot say 'I am knowing'.

You can only say I know. Here is a list of verbs which are not normally used in continuous tenses (but there are exceptions):