PAST SIMPLE WITH PAST CONTINUOUS

El Pasado simple se usa para describir una acción que se completó en el pasado:
I made dinner at 6 o´clock last night
El Pasado Continuo hace referencia a una acción que se estaba desarrollando en el pasado:
At eight o´clock yesterday evening I was having a shower
El pasado continuo y el pasado simple se usan en la misma frase para describir una acción que interrumpe a otra más larga en pleno desarrollo:
I was washing myhair when the phone rang/While I was washing my hair, the phone rang

EXERCISES

1. Complete the sentences. Use the past simple and the past continuous in each sentence:

a) The doorbell _____________(ring) while I _______________(have) breakfast
b) It _____________(dark) when I _______________(leave) my friend´s house
c) A thief _________________(steal) my bag while I _________________(take) a photo
d) Mark _______________(ride) to school when he _____________(fall) off his bike
e) It _____________(rain), so I _________________(get) the bus home

2. Circle the correct form of the verb
a) When the earthquake began, we slept/were sleeping
b) The storm hit/was hitting three cities in the south of the country
c) the water rose/was rising quickly, so I was running/ran back to the hotel
d) At nine o´clock last night it rained/was raining
e) We were standing/stood in the garden when the hurricane hit/was hitting
f) Cars crashed/were crashing, so we were stopping/stopped quickly
g) We saw/were seeing the avalanche while we skied/were skiing
h) I drove/was driving home when the blizzard was starting/started

3. Complete the text. Use the past simple or past continuous of the following verbs:

be-cry-erupt-hear-see-stand-start-talk-wait

Everyone ______________in the street. There ________dark clouds of gas above the volcano and everyone _______________ for something to happen. I _____________

to my neighbour when we ______________ the first explosion. We __________ bright orange lava running down the side of the volcano and for a second, everyone was quiet. Then suddenly they all ____________talking at the same time, and some people ________________. The volcano _______________ and it wasn´t safe.

PRESENT TENSE CONTRAST

El presente simple se usa para describir hábitos y referirnos a cosas que hacemos con regularidad. Suele ir acompañado de adverbios de frecuencia(usually, always, never,...) o de expresiones de tiempo del tipo every..., once/twice/three times a week, etc.
I usually have lunch at school/ I have lunch at school twice a week

El presente continuo hace referencia a cosas que están sucediendo mientras se habla. Suele ir acompañado de expresiones del tipo now, at the moment y today.
I´m having lunch now
El presente continuo también puede describir planes para un futuro inmediato. En este caso, suele ir acompañado de expresiones como tomorrow, tonight, this evening, next weekend, etc.
I´m having lunch at Pizza House tomorrow

EXERCISES

3º ESO

1 Complete the text with the correct form of the present simple or present continuous.
We usually (1) …………………… (have) a test on Mondays. It (2) …………………… (not be) my favourite way to start the week! Today is different. We (3) …………………… (not have) lessons at school because we (4) …………………… (go) on a school trip.
At the moment we (5) …………………… (wait) for the bus by the school gates. The teacher (6) …………………… (count) the students (for the third time this morning!). Jaime (7) …………………… (hide) behind me. The teacher (8) …………………… (look) at a list of names and now she (9) …………………… (make) a phone call. Who (10) …………………… she …………………… (phone)? Oh no! It’s Jaime’s parents!

2. Correct the mistakes in these sentences.
1 We hardly never see them.
…………………………………………
2 Are you doing martial arts on Saturdays?
…………………………………………
3 Do your teacher give you homework?
…………………………………………
4 They go often to Barcelona.
…………………………………………
5 Javi isn’t playing volleyball on Mondays.
…………………………………………
6 I never am bored.
…………………………………………
7 Are having a good time?
…………………………………………
8 Maria like fashion and music.
…………………………………………
9 ‘Do you want to come with us?’ ‘I love to.’
…………………………………………
10 I always goes to school by bike.
…………………………………………

3. Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of the present simple or present continuous.
1 We _________ (do) a test at the moment.
2 My parents _________ (not work) on Sundays.
3 _________ your mum _________ (work) today?
4 My sister _________ (get up) at seven o’clock.
5 I (not meet) my friends this evening.
6 _________ your best friend _________ (live) near you?
7 Jaime _________ (not like) dancing.
8 Look! Pedro _________ (copy) my answers!
9 _________ you often _________ (speak) English?
10 I never _________ (play) tennis in winter.

4º ESO
1. Complete the telephone conversation. Use the present simple or the present continuous.
Fiona Hi, Nadia. It’s Fiona.
Nadia Oh hi. (1) ________you ________ (ring) from Joe’s place?
Fiona No, I’m at the market. I (2) ________ ________ (look) for some shoes.
Nadia Are you serious? Why (3) ________you ________ (need) more shoes? You’ve got lots of shoes!
Fiona Well, I (4) ________ (want) to buy a new pair, but I (5) ________ ________ ________ (not have) much luck. And it’s after midday now, so the market (6) ________ ________ (close). Anyway, what about you? (7) ________you ________ (do) anything interesting?
Nadia Well, Kim’s here. We (8) ________ ________ (record) some music for her party. (9) ________you ________ (want) to come round? Fiona …? Are you there?
Fiona Hey, I can’t talk now, Nadia. This guy (10) ________ ________ (show) me a fabulous pair of earrings. I’ll ring you back.

2. Complete the sentences. Use verbs in the present simple or present continuous, affirmative or negative.
1 Alex often _____________to the radio in the morning.
2 We’re hurrying because we _____________to be late.
3 I don’t really like this ice cream very much. It _____________nice.
4 Julie will be ready soon. She _____________a shower.
5 Look at John. He _____________a yellow shirt because he supports the Brazilian team.

3. Write the questions and complete the short answers.

1 A: you / believe / in ghosts?
_______________________________________
B: No, _____________.

2 A: the children / sleep?
_______________________________________
B: Yes, _____________.

3 A: Suzie / always / wear / that necklace?
_______________________________________
B: Yes, _____________.

4 A: this shop / sell / newspapers?
_______________________________________
B: Yes, _____________.

5 A: you and Carlo / study / at the moment?
_______________________________________
B: No, _____________.

4. Complete the sentences. Use the present simple or the present continuous form of the verbs in the box.
chat come go need not want not wear play revise taste wait
1 Adam ________ football every Tuesday.
2 Who _______ Pete ______ to on his mobile?
3 _______ you ________ to town with me?
4 I ________ some help with my homework.
5 This cake ________ delicious. What’s in it?
6 Hurry up Felipe! We ________ for you!
7 I ________ a tattoo. I think they look horrible.
8 I ________ those trousers to the party. They’re really old-fashioned.
9 ________ you ________ for your exam later?
10 ________ they ________ to the disco every Saturday night?