SIMPLE PRESENT AND PRESENT CONTINUOUS COMPARED
Illustrative Text Chrissy Has Chicken Pox
Chrissy usually goes to school on Tuesday but today is different She's staying home because she has chicken pox. She usually has breakfast at 7.00 and she walks to school with Timmy, but today she's sleeping late and she doesn't want breakfast. At 10.00 she is usually in school, but today she's watching television. She's going to the doctor at 11.00. At noontime she usually has lunch, but today she isn't hungry and doesn't want lunch. On a normal day she finishes school at 2.00 and she and Betty walk home together. Today at 2.00 she's drinking orange juice and watching TV. She almost always has her dinner at five, but today she's eating dinner at 4.00 because she's hungry. After she watches her favourite TV programme at 6.00, she sometimes does homework and then she goes to bed at 8.00. Today she's going to bed early because she's tired.
/. Listen to the text "Chrissy Has Chicken Pox" and answer the questions:
Why is Chrissy staying home today? When does Chrissy usually have breakfast? What is Chrissy doing at 7.00 today? Is Chrissy often at home at 10.00? When does Chrissy usually have lunch? She doesn't want lunch today, does she? When does Chrissy finish school on a normal day? What is she doing at 2 today? When does Chrissy usually have dinner? Why is she eating dinner at 4 today? What does Chrissy usually do in the evening? Why does Chrissy go to bed early today?
//. Read the text and compare the use of the Simple Present and Present Continuous.
III. Retell the text.
Practice
/. Answer the questions:
1. Do you speak French? Are you speaking French now? What language are you speaking? Does your wife (brother, etc.) speak English? 2. Do you play tennis? Are you playing tennis now? Does your friend play tennis? 3. You are answering my questions, aren't you? Do you always answer questions well? 4. Are you reading a newspaper now? Do you ever read newspapers at the lesson? 6. Are you listening to me? Do you always listen to me carefully? 7. What are you doing here? 8. Do you sing? Are you singing now? 9. Do you dance? You are not dancing now, are you? 10. Do you work hard at English? 11. Is Mike reading now? Does he read English texts well? 12. You are not doing your homework now, are you? When do you do your homework? 13. Do you smoke? Is your friend smoking now? 14. You aren't having dinner at the moment, are you? When do you have dinner?
//. Respond as in the example:
e.g. A: (in tones of great astonishment): Tom's making a lot of
mistakes! B: But he doesn't usually make mistakes.
1. Steve's answering the telephone! 2. Paul's taking the children to school! 3. Mike's helping his wife! 4. Jack's looking after the baby! 5. Peter's walking the dog! 6. Steve's carrying his wife's basket! 7 John's cleaning the window! 8. The Baxters are spending their holidays at home! 9. They are working late! 10. The dog's sleeping on your bed! 11. Mary's driving her husband's car! e.g. A: Mike usually smokes Turkish cigarettes B: But today he's smoking French cigarettes.
He usually ...
1. drives a German car; 2. travels by air; 3. lectures in Spanish; 4. reads a German paper; 5. plays Italian music; 6. drinks English beer; 7 uses an English dictionary; 8. has lunch in a Japanese restaurant; 9. listens to the news in English; 10. writes in Spanish; 11. speaks English; 12. goes to Indian films; 13. sits beside Margaret; 14. walks to his office
// Make up short dialogues as in the examples:
1. - What's Kate doing at the moment?
— She is making lunch.
— Does she make lunch every day?
— No, she doesn't.
2. — What is Mike going to do tonight?
— He is going to watch television.
— Does he watch television every night?
— Yes, he does.
3. — Where are Jack and Mary?
— They are travelling about Italy.
— Do they often travel abroad?
— Yes, they often do.
4. — Peter is playing tennis in the park.
— He often plays tennis, doesn't he?
— Yes, he does.
5. — Mr. Jones doesn't usually smoke.
— Then why is he smoking today?
Fluency
The Sawyers (1)
The Sawyers live at 87 King Street. In the morning, Mr Sawyer goes to work and the children go to school. Their father takes them to school every day. Mrs Sawyer stays at home every day. She does the housework. She always eats her lunch at noon. In the afternoon, she usually sees her friends. They often drink tea together. In the evening, the children come home from school. They arrive home early. Mr Sawyer comes home from work. He arrives home late. At night, the children always do their homework. Then they go to bed. Mr Sawyer usually reads his newspaper but sometimes he and his wife watch television.
/. Listen to the text. Agree or disagree with the following statements based on the text:
I. The Sawyers live in Queen Street. 2. Mr Sawyer doesn't go to work. 3. The children go to school. 4. Mrs Sawyer is a housewife. 5. In the afternoon Mrs Sawyer usually goes shopping. 6. Mr Sawyer doesn't come home late. 7. The children never do their homework at night.
//. Listen to the text again and ask each other questions on the text.
III. Imagine you are Mr (Mrs Sawyer). Tell about your daily routine.
IV. Interview your friend. Ask him (her) about his/her daily routine.
The Sawyers (2)
It is eight o'clock. The children go to school by car every day, but today they are going to school on foot.
It is ten o'clock. Mrs Sawyer usually stays at home in the morning, but this morning she is going to the shops.
It is four o'clock. In the afternoon Mrs Sawyer usually drinks tea in the living-room. But this afternoon she is drinking tea in the garden.
It is six o'clock. In the evening, the children usually do their homework, but this evening they are not doing their homework. At the moment they are playing in the garden.
It is nine o'clock. Mr Sawyer usually reads his newspaper at night. But he's not reading his newspaper tonight. At the moment he's reading an interesting book.
/. Listen to the text and ask each other questions on the text.
II. Say what the Sawyers usually do and what they are doing at present.
A Bad Day at the Office
Mr Blaine is the president of the Acme Insurance Company. His company is very large and always very busy.
Mr Blaine has a staff of energetic employees who work for him. Unfortunately all his employees are out today. Nobody is there. As a result, Mr Blaine is doing everybody's job and he's having a very bad day at the office.
He's answering the telephone because the receptionist who usually answers the telephone is at the dentist's office.
He's typing letters because the secretary who usually types letters is home in bed with the flue.
He's operating the computer because the computer programmer who usually operates the computer is on vacation.
He's even fixing the radiator because the custodian who usually fixes the radiator is on strike.
Poor Mr Blaine! It's a very bad day at the Acme Insurance Company and nobody is there to help him. He's having a very bad day at the office.
/. Listen to the text "A Bad Day at the Office" and say why Mr Blaine is very busy today.
II. Read the text.
III. Tell about Mr Blaine's bad day at the office.
Self check
/. Put the verbs into the correct form:
1. — Where (be) Mary? — She (be) in the kitchen.—What she (do) there? — She (cook) dinner.— She always (cook) it for the family? — As a rule she (do) 2. — What they (discuss) now? — They (speak) about their exams. 3. What Mike (do)? — He (translate) an article from Russian into English.— He (know) English well? — Yes, he (do). 4. He often (walk) to the plant? — No, he usually (go) by bus. 5. — Where's Peter? — He (have) his English lesson.— He always (have) it at this time? — Twice a week. 6. Mike (speak, not) Spanish. He (know) Polish. 7. Don't go into the classroom! The students (write) a dictation there. 8. Shhh. The baby (sleep). The baby (sleep) for ten hours every night. 9. Right now I'm in class. I (sit) at my desk. I usually (sit) at the same desk in class every day. 10. Ali (speak) Arabic. Arabic is his native language, but right now he (speak) English. 11. Can you hear those people? What they (talk about)? 12. — What your father (do)? — He's a teacher. 13. My parents (live) in Bris tol. Where your parents (live)? 14. — Where you (go)? — To the library.— You often (go) to the library? — Twice a week. 15. Our teacher (stand, not) right now. She (sit) at her desk. 16. It's 6 p. m. Mary is at home. She (eat) dinner. She always (eat) dinner with her family around six o'clock. 17. Alice (take, not) the bus to school every day She usually (walk) instead.
//. Translate into English.
1. Как правило, мой отец встает в 8 часов. 2. Я всегда отдыхаю после ужина. 3. — Где Виктор? — Он обедает. 4. Мой брат знает английский и сможет помочь тебе. Позвони ему сейчас. . Я думаю, что он еще не спит. 5. — Что делает Роберт? — Он играет в теннис.— Он хорошо играет в теннис? — Не очень. >
6. Как часто ты видишь свою сестру? — Два-три раза в месяц.
7. Мария сейчас в библиотеке. Она пишет статью. Она работает .-в библиотеке каждый день. 8. Где ты бываешь по вечерам? —
Я часто хожу на занятия в институт. 9. — Почему ты так часто опаздываешь? — Я не люблю рано вставать. 10. — Дети обедают? — Нет, они играют в футбол. 11. — Что ты делаешь сейчас? — Слушаю радио. Я всегда слушаю последние известия по утрам. 12. — Мы часто ходим в театр.— Мы тоже. 13. — Интересно, чем он сейчас занимается.— Думаю, что читает. -14. — Петр не играет в шахматы.— Николай тоже. 15. Она обычно на работе с 10 утра, но сегодня она дома. 16. — Как часто ты встречаешь Виктора? — Каждую неделю, по четвергам.— Ты знаешь, где он живет? — Нет. 17. — Кто знает французский? — Петров. 18. — Кто играет на пианино? — Елена. Она хорошо играет на пианино. 19. — Он никогда тебе не пишет, не так ли? — Нет, пишет. 19. — Ты часто ходишь в кино? — Раз или два раза в месяц.