Grammar: Present Continuous or Present Simple

Exercises

Are the underlined verbs right or wrong? Correct the verbs that are wrong.

1 Water boils at 100 degrees celsius.... RIGHT..

2 The water boils. Can you turn it off?... WRONG:. is boiling.

3 Look! That man tries to open the door of your car.

4 Can you hear those people? What do they talk about?......................

5 The moon goes round the earth.

6 I must go now. It gets late..........................................................................

7 I usually go to work by car.

8 'Hurry up! It's time to leave.' 'OK. I come. '

9 I hear you've got a new job. How do you get on?

 

Put the verb in the correct form, present continuous or present simple.

1. Let's go out. It... isn't raining... (not/rain) now.

2. Julia is very good at languages. She... speaks... (speak) four languages very well.

3. Hurry up! Everybody................................... (wait) for you.

4. '........................................ (you/listen) to the radio?' 'No, you can turn it off.'

5. '........................................ (you/listen) to the radio every day?' 'No, just occasionally.'

6. The River Nile..................................... (flow) into the Mediterranean.

7. Look at the river. It..................................... (flow) very fast today - much faster than usual.

8. We usually................................................. (grow) vegetables in our garden but this year we (not/grow) any.

9. 'How is your English?' 'Not bad. It................................ (improve) slowly.'

10. Ron is in London at the moment. He.............................. (stay) at the Park Hotel. He (always/stay) there when he's in London.

11. Can we stop walking soon? I............................... (start) to feel tired.

12. 'Can you drive?' 'I................................ (learn). My father.............................. (teach) me.

13. Normally I................................................. (finish) work at 5.00, but this week I (work) until 6.00 to earn a bit more money.

14. My parents...................................... (live) in Bristol. They were born there and have never lived anywhere else. Where................. (your parents/live)?

15. Sonia.....-................................ (look) for a place to live. She.............................. (stay) with her sister until she finds somewhere.

16. What...... (your father/do)?' 'He's an architect but he (not/work) at the moment.'

17. (at a party) Usually I.,............................ (enjoy) parties but I............................ (not/enjoy) this one very much.

18. The train is never late. It.................................. (always/leave) on time.

19. Jim is very untidy. He.................................. (always/leave) his things all over the place.

Finish B's sentences. Use always -ing.

1 A: I'm afraid I've lost my key again.

1. B: Not again!... You're, always losing your key...

2 A: The car has broken down again.

2. B: That car is useless! It............................................................................................

3 A: Look! You've made the same mistake again.

3. B: Oh no, not again! I................................................................................................

4 A: Oh, I've left the lights on again.

4 B: Typical! You………………………..

 

Put the verb into the correct form, present continuous or present simple.

1 Are you hungry?.... Do you want... something to eat? (you/want)

2 Jill is interested in politics but she.......................... to a political party. (not/belong)

3 Don't put the dictionary away. I............................... it. (use)

4 Don't put the dictionary away. I............................... it. (need)

5 Who is that man? What................................? (he/want)

6 Who is that man? Why................................ at us? (he/look)

7 George says he's 80 years old but nobody........................ him. (believe)

8 She told me her name but I.............................. it now. (not/remember)

9 I of selling my car. (think) Would you be interested in buying it?

10 I (think)....................... you should sell your car. You it very often. (not/use)

11 I used to drink a lot of coffee but these days I....................... tea. (prefer)

12 Air...................................... mainly of nitrogen and oxygen.(consist)

Complete the sentences using the most suitable form of be. Sometimes you must use the simple -am/is/are) and sometimes the continuous is more suitable (am/is/are being).

1 I can't understand why... he's being... so selfish. He isn't usually like that.

2 Jack.................................. very nice to me at the moment. I wonder why.

3 You'll like Jill when you meet her. She......................! very nice.

4 Normally you are very sensible, so why...................... so silly about this matter?

5 Why isn’t Sarah at work today? …………………………………….ill?

 

 

Unit 6

Before you read

Discuss these questions with your partner.

-Do you think most countries have a market which is free from government management?

-Can you think of any examples supporting or disagreeing with this idea?

 

A Vocabulary

Complete each sentence with a word or phrase from the box.

Advertise afford competition

Controlled costs incentive

Limit prepared profit raise

Reduce role street market

Theoretical

 

1. Every Saturday this road becomes the local ……. where people come to buy fruit and vegetables.

2. Businesses …………. their products in the media to attract more consumers.

3. My ……….. in the business is to meet customers and find out what they want.

4. Making money is the main ………. to work.

5. I bought this old camera for $50 and sold it for $75. That's $25 ………..

6. If there is only one producer in the market, there is no …………….

7. Production …… are the amount of money companies spend to make a product.

8. The idea that life exists on other planets is …………. Nobody knows for sure.

9. A ………… economy is one where a government decides what can be bought and sold and/or how it is done.

10. The speed …………. on this road is 90 kilometers per hour.

11. When there is a demand we ………….. prices but we ……………. them if we want to sell something quickly.

12. I can't ……….. that car – it is far too expensive.

13. People are …………. to pay a lot for services if they are of a good quality.

 

The market economy

Have you ever walked through a busy street market? People push their way through crowds of others in order to reach the stalls first. The air is full of deafening shouts. Stall owners yell to advertise their goods. Buyers cry out their orders. It's hard to imagine, but behind this noisy confusion is a very logical economic theory: the market economy.

The market economy is sometimes called the free market. A free market is not controlled in any way by a government. It is also free from the influence of custom or tradition. In a free market, the only reason why things are bought and sold is because there is a demand for them. Prices for goods and services are simply what people are prepared to pay. The market economy is not really controlled by anyone. It controls itself.

The street market where we began has many of the characteristics of the free market. Customers arrive at the market with a shopping list of things they need. They also come with an idea of how much they are prepared to pay. Stall owners sell what customers demand, and try to get the highest price they can for it. Supply and demand control what is on the market and how much it sells for. In the wider economy, we are all customers, and the stall owners are like companies.

The role of the company in the free market is to supply what people want. However, companies need an incentive. The incentive is profit. There are two ways for companies to make a profit. The first way is to raise their prices. The second way is to reduce their production costs. And this brings us to two more features of the market economy: competition and technology.

Competition exists in a free market because, theoretically, anyone can be a producer. This means that companies have to compete with each other for a share of the market. Competition is good for consumers because it helps to control prices and quality. If customers aren't happy with a product or service, or if they can't afford it, they will go to a competitor.

Technology exists in a free market because producers need ways to reduce their costs. They cannot buy cheaper raw materials. Instead, they must make better use of time and labour. Technology is the use of tools and machines to do jobs in a better way. This helps companies produce more goods in less time and with less effort. The result: more profit.

People often think that most economics are free markets. However, at the macroeconomic level, a truly free market economy does not exist anywhere in the world. This is because all governments set limits in order to control the economy. Some governments set many limits, other governments set very few, but they all set some. For this reason, a true market economy is only theoretical. Nevertheless, many of the features of the market economy do exist on most societies today.

 

B Comprehension

Now read the text again and answer these questions in your own words in the space provided below.

 

1. Who controls a market economy?

2. Who decides what products are for sale in a free market?

3. What do companies want?

4. Why is competition a good thing?

5. Why does technology exist in the market economy?

6. Why are there no true market economies in the world today?

 

Before you listen

Discuss these questions with your partner.

-Do you think the free market is a good idea?

-Is it good for society? Why/Why not?

 

C Listening

Now listen and choose the correct answer.

 

Adam Smith's invisible hand theory:

1. People are naturally selfish/helpful.

2. The free market only demands what is good for society/producers.

3. When people work for their own good, they do good for consumers/society also.

In the real economy:

4. In the free market there is demand for goods which are not expensive/necessary.

5. There is also demand for goods which are good/bad for us.

6. The market/Advertising can create demands that do not normally exist.

 

Grammar: Present perfect

I/you/we/they HAVE + Past Participle

He/she/it HAS + Past Participle

 

Use the Present Perfect when the action in the past has a result now.

Where is your key? I don’t know. I have lost it.

Is Ann here? No, she has gone out.

 

Use the Present Perfect to announce a recent happening.

Ow! I have cut my finger.

The road is closed. There has been an accident.

 

Use the Present Perfect with just, already, yet, ever, never, recently, lately, in the last few days, so far, since childhood, for ages, today, this month.

I haven’t seen you for ages.

He has already done his homework.

She hasn’t come back yet.

 

Exercises

You are writing a letter to a friend. In the letter you give news about yourself and other people. Use the words given to make sentences. Use the present perfect.

Dear Chris,

Lots of things have happened since I last wrote to you.

1 I / buy / a new car .. I ' ve bought a new car...

2 my father / start / a new job............................................................................................

3 I/ give up / smoking.........................................................................................................

4 Charles and Sarah / go / to Brazil..............................................

5 Suzanne /have / a baby.................................................................................................

Read the situations and write sentences. Choose one of the following: arrive break go up grow improve lose

1 Mike is looking for his key. He can't find it He has lost his key...

2 Margaret can't walk and her leg is in plaster. She....................................................

3 Maria's English wasn't very good. Now it is much better.........................................

4 Tim didn't have a beard last month. Now he has a beard.......................................

5 This morning I was expecting a letter. Now I have it.................................................

6 Last week the bus fare was 80 pence. Now it is 90..................................................

 

Read the situations and write sentences with just, already or yet. After lunch you go to see a friend at her house. She says 'Would you like something to eat?' You say: No, thank you.. I.. ve just had.. lunch,... (have lunch)

1 Joe goes out. Five minutes later, the phone rings and the caller says 'Can I speak to Joe?' You say: I'm afraid......................................................................................................... (go out)

2 You are eating in a restaurant. The waiter thinks you have finished and starts to take your plate away. You say: Wait a minute!....................................................... (not/finish)

3 You are going to a restaurant this evening. You phone to reserve a table. Later your friend says 'Shall I phone to reserve a table?' You say: No,....................................... it. (do)

4 You know that a friend of yours is looking for a job. Perhaps she has been successful. Ask her. You say:...................................................................................................................? (find)

5 Ann went to the bank, but a few minutes ago she returned. Somebody asks 'Is Ann still at the bank?' You say: No,............................................................................................ (come back)

 

Put in been or gone.

1 Jim is on holiday. He's...gone... to Italy.

2 Hello! I've just............................ to the shops. I've bought lots of things.

3 Alice isn't here at the moment. She's.................. to the shop to get a newspaper.

4 Tom has............................ out. He'll be back in about an hour.

5 'Are you going to the bank?' 'No, I've already................. to the bank.'

 

 

Unit 7

You are asking somebody questions about things he or she has done. Make questions from the words in brackets.

1 (ever / ride / horse?).... Have you ever ridden a horse ?..

2 (ever / be / California?)..................................................................................................

3 (ever / run / marathon?).................................................................................................

4 (ever / speak / famous person?)...................................................................................

5 (always / live / in this town?)........................................................................................

6 (most beautiful place / ever / visit?) What...............................................................

 

Complete B's answers. Some sentences are positive and some negative. Use a verb from this list: be be eat happen have meet play read see see try

What is George’s sister like? I have no idea. I…………………….her.

How is Amy these days? I don’t know. I………………her recently.

Are you hungry? Yes. I……………………much today.

Can you play chess? Yes. But I……………………..for ages.

Did you enjoy your holiday? Yes, it’s the best holiday I…………….for a long time.

What is that book like? I don’t know. I…………………………..it.

Is Rome an interesting plase? I’ve no idea. I…………………………there.

Mike was late for work again. He…………………………..late every day this week.

Do you like caviar? I don’t know. I………………….it.

The car broke down again. That’s the second time it…………..this week.

Who/s that woman by the door? I don’t know. I………………….before.

 

Complete these sentences using today / this year / this term etc.

1 I saw Tom yesterday but.... I haven’t seen him today....

2 I read a newspaper yesterday but I................................................................... today.

3 Last year the company made a profit but this year...................................................

4 Tracy worked hard at school last term but..................................................................

5 It snowed a lot last winter but.......................................................................................

6 Our football team won a lot of games last season but we.......................................

 

Read the situations and write sentences as shown in the examples.

1 Jack is driving a car but he's very nervous and not sure what to do.
You ask:.... Have you driven a car before?..

He says:... No this is the first time I've driven a car.

2 Len is playing tennis. He's not very good and he doesn't know the rules.

You ask: Have.....................................................................................................................

He says: No, this is the first..............................................................................................

3 Sue is riding a horse. She doesn't look very confident or comfortable.

You ask:..............................................................................................................................

She says:............................................................................................................................

4 Maria is in London. She has just arrived and it's very new for her.

You ask:..............................................................................................................................

She says:......................