The Present Simple and Continuous TensesThese uses of the present simple tense are practised in Exercise A:1.Eternal truths: The earth moves round the sun. 2.General statements: Ships need ports but helicopters go almost anywhere. 3.Repeated or habitual activities: The helicopter lifts the prospectors into the jungle. 4.References to something written or printed: The passage says that helicopters are different from all other forms of transport. 5.The future in adverb clauses of time and condition: When helicopters become bigger and more efficient, they will do more and more work. 6.In such exclamations as: Here he comes! Here comes my father! There it goes!A. Supply the present simple tense of the verbs given in brackets.1.Dogs and cats _ good pets. (make) 2.Lorries and cars _ roads and aeroplanes _runways. (need, need) 3.Several times a day, a helicopter _ off from Harcourt Road and _ to Kai Tak. (take, fly) 4.I often _ him and he always _ hello! (see, say) 5.He always _ the word with an e but the dictionary _ that there should not be one. (spell, say) 6.When he _ to me again, I will show you the letter. (write) 7.Look at the procession! Here _ the soldiers! They _ very smart, dont they? Now theyve gone past. There they _! Soldiers always _ well, dont they? (come, look, go, march) 8.Mark _ that when he _ up he _ to be the pilot of an aeroplane. Many boys _ this because they _ watching aeroplanes as they _ and _ off, but they usually _ their minds later. (say, grow, want, say, like, land, take, change)These uses of the present continuous tense are parctised in Exercise B1.An activity or state continuing at the pre sent moment: You are reading this now. 2.A repeated action over a period of time: He is playing in the school team this term. Helicopters are always doing many useful things. 3.Frequent repetition: You are always complaining about something! 4.Events planned for the future: We are going away on holiday next week. 5.Intention or probability using going to: I am going to tell you something. I think it is going to rain.B. Supply the present continuous tense of the verbs given in brackets.1.At the moment it _ but I think that it _ to stop soon. (rain, go) 2.Skin-diving _ more and more popular every year. (become)3.That boy _ again. Why _ it always _? (cry, cry) 4.The new Headmaster says that he _ to make some changes. (go) 5.What _ you _ to do in the holidays? My cousin _ to spend a week at my home and then my brother and I _ a week at his home. (go, come, spend) 6.My brother _ for my father now. Next year he _ to England to study and afterwards he _ back to Hong Kong and my father _. (work, go, come, retire)Some verbs are not normally used in the continuous tenses. They are:1.Verbs of perception: see, hear, sound, smell, taste, feel, notice, observe, recognize, etc. 2.Non-conclusive verbs, expressing a feeling or state that is assumed to have no end: agree, imagine, know, forgive, hate, prefer, belong to, consist of, remember, contain, doubt, mean, deserve, etc.C. Make sentences with the same meaning using the words given in brackets.1.That meat does not have a very nice smell. (does not smell) That meat does not sell very nice. 2.Judging by his voice, he is very confident. (He sounds) He sounds very confident. 3.Someone has told me that you are leaving. (I hear) 4.The milk seems to be sore. (taste) 5.I have read in the newspaper that there has been an earthquake in Japan. (I see) 6.I have a lot of sympathy for the refugees. (feel sorry) 7.When I saw him, I knew that I had seen him before. (recognized) 8.I think that you are right. (agree with) 9.She would rather play tennis that badminton. (prefers) 10. That is Alans book. (belongs to) 11. You have not forgotten me, have you? (remember) 12. The equipment is made up of two rackets, a ball and a net. (consists of) 13. He ought to be paid a higher salary. (deserve) 14. I am not sure that we shall ever see him again. (doubt) 15. There are a number of small boxes in the sack. (contains) 16. Cats dislike water very much. (hate) 17. I dont understand you. (What mean?) 18. We have been told the answer. (know)D. Give either the present simple or the present continuous tense of each verb in brackets.1.Unlike ships, which (need) ports, and lorries, which (need) roads, helicopters (land) and (take) off anywhere. That is why they (become) an important means of transport. 2.We usually (have) typhoons in the summer. 3.The sun (rise) in the east and (set) in the west. It is evening now and the sun (set). 4.He usually (work) in this office but he (not work) here today.5.Do you know what he (complain) about now? No, I dont. He (always complain) about something. Sometimes I (think) that he (look) for things to complain about! 6.The ruler you have just broken (belong) to me! O