Exercise - present continuous in English - revision.

Choose words from list below to fit into each sentence. Only one solution makes correct sense. (You can also listen to the example sentences in English for intonation and pronunciation practice.)

Use the following words:

Usually, we only use one tense to talk about actions happening now. This tense is called 1) : (present simple / present continuos)

I'm reading at the moment. ...
What's she doing there? ...
She isn't doing anything. ...
Look, it's raining. ...
Is it raining or isn't it? ...
Hey, I'm talking to you! ...

The present continuous must use the auxiliary 2) (to have / to be) followed by the 3)  (ing / ed) form of the verb:

John 4) (has / is) waiting for the bus. ...
We are 5) (watching / watched) the football on television. ...

In 6) , (negatives / questions) the auxiliary and the subject are inverted:

Everybody is doing their Christmas shopping today. ... (affirmative)
7) (Is everybody / Everybody is) doing their Christmas shopping today? ... (question)

8) with (affirmatives / negatives) in present continuous use ‘not’ with the auxiliary:

I am not doing anything interesting at the moment. ...

and the contracted form in 9) (informal / formal) English is:

I’m not doing anything interesting at the moment. ...

Present continuous is also used to talk about 10) (temporary / permanent) periods in our lives. These are actions that may continue for a few days, months or perhaps years:

I'm working in Birmingham 11) . (since a few months / for a few months)  ...
I'm studying English at the university this term. ...
I’m studying Economics at the polytechnic. ... (but not permanently)

Present continuous is not used to talk about a continuing action in the 12)  (present / past) when we say how much time has passed. We use present perfect continuous instead:

I've been working in Birmingham for 2 months. ... (2 months have passed)
I've been studying English since last summer. ... (All the time since last summer has passed.)