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 2Present 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 earthgoesround the sun.
- Nurses lookafter patients in hospitals.
- In Britain most of the shops closeat 5.30 p.m.
Remember that we say he / she / it-s. Don't forget the s:
- I workin a bank. Barry worksin a shop.
b)We use do / doesto 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, doyou speakEnglish?
- 'Would you like a cigarette?' 'No, thanks. I don't smoke.'
- Whatdoes 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'clockevery morning.(not 'amgetting')
- How often doyou gotothe dentist?
- Ann doesn't often drinktea.
- Insummer Tom usually playstennis twice a week.
d)Note that we say 'Wheredoyoucomefrom?' (= Where are you from?):
-Wheredoyoucomefrom? (not 'Where are you coming from?')
-Hecomesfrom 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 goto bed early?'
Exercises
2.1In this exercise you have to put the verb into the correct form.
Examples: Water boils(boil) at 100 degrees centigrade.
George doesnt 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)?
2.2This 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 doesnt 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. . ..