Exercises on grammar UNIT 2

1 Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence.

1.      I haven’t decided yet about whether to buy a new car or a second-hand one. But I
think about it/I’m thinking about it.

2.      All right, you try to fix the television! But I hope/I’m hoping you know what you’re
doing.

3.      Every year I visit/I’m visiting Britain to improve my English.

4.      It’s time we turned on the central heating. It gets/It’s getting colder every day.

5.      Of course, you’re Mary, aren´t you? I recognize/I am recognizing you now.

6.      The film of ‘War and Peace’ is very long. It lasts/It is lasting over four hours.

7.      I can see from what you say that your mornings are very busy! But what do you
do/are you doing in the afternoons?

8.      I’m going to buy a new swimming costume. My old one doesn’t fit/isn’t fitting any
more.

9.      That must be the end of the first part of the performance. What happens//is happening
now?

10.  What’s the matter? Why do you look/are you looking at me like that?

2 Complete each sentence with the present simple or present continuous form of the
verb in brackets.

1.      I (hear) _______________ that you have been promoted. Congratulations!

2.      British people (drink) _______________ more and more wine, apparently.

3.      I hope Sarah will be here soon. I (depend) _______________ on her.

4.      Please be quiet, David. You (forever/interrupt) _______________.

5.      Hey, you! What (you/think) _______________ you’re doing?

6.      Could you come here please? I (want) _______________ to talk to you now.
7.      Jane is away on holiday so Linda (handle) _______________ her work.

8.      To be honest, I (doubt) _______________ whether Jim will be here next week.

9.      You’ve only just started the job, haven’t you? How (you/get on) _______________?

10.  Pay no attention to Graham. He (just/be) _______________ sarcastic.

3 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
using one of the words in bold. Do not change the word in bold.

1.      Charles and his father are exactly alike in appearance.

looks/looking

Charles ______________________________ his father.

2.      Take all your possessions and walk slowly to the exit.

belongs/belongings

Take everything ______________________________ and walk slowly to the exit.

3.      I’m finding it really enjoyable to work here.

enjoy/enjoying

I ______________________________ here.

4.      I take work home regularly because of my new responsibility at work.

means/meaning

My new responsibility at work ______________________________ work home regularly.

5.      In my cycling group there’s George, Tom, Harry and me.

consists/consisting

My ______________________________ George, Tom, Harry and me.

6.      In your opinion, who’s going to win the Cup?

think/thinking

Who do ______________________________ win the Cup?

7.      I’m seeing how wide the door is.

measure/measuring

I ______________________________ the door.

8.      Neil always forgets his wife’s birthday.

remembers/remembering

Neil ______________________________ his wife’s birthday.

9.      Its ability to catch fish is the key to the polar bear’s survival.

depends/depending

The polar bear’s ______________________________ to catch fish.

10.  What’s on your mind at the moment?

think/thinking

What ______________________________ at the moment?

4 Correct any errors in these sentences. Some sentences are correct.

1.      I’m depending on you, so don’t make any mistakes!

____________________________________________________________________

2.      Is this total including the new students?

____________________________________________________________________

3.      Excuse me, but do you wait for somebody?

____________________________________________________________________

4.      These potatoes are tasting a bit funny.

____________________________________________________________________

5.       How are you feeling today?

____________________________________________________________________
6.      I look forward to hearing from you.

____________________________________________________________________

7.      I have a feeling that something goes wrong.

____________________________________________________________________

8.      What’s that you’re eating?

____________________________________________________________________

9.      Are you hearing anything from Wendy these days?

____________________________________________________________________

10.  I think you’re being rather mean about this.

____________________________________________________________________

5 Complete each sentence with a word from the box.

coming          making          trying          asking          talking          listening         

taking          shooting

1.      I’m __________ to concentrate.

2.      Are you __________ off now, or can we talk?

3.      Go on, I’m __________.

4.      I think we’re __________ at cross purposes.

5.      You’re __________ for trouble.

6.      It’s __________ along nicely.

7.      You don’t seem to be __________ much interest.

8.      You’re __________ a fuss about nothing.

6 Underline the correct word of phrase in each sentence.

1.      I can’t believe it, Inspector. You mean that Smith stole/has stolen/has been stealing
money from the till all this time!
2.      You three boys look very guilty! What did you do/have you done/have you been
doing since I left/have left the room?

3.      Why on earth didn’t you tell/haven’t you told me about that loose floorboard? I
tripped/have tripped over it just now and hurt myself.

4.      It’s a long time since I saw/have seen/have been seeing your brother Paul. What did
he do/has he done/has he been doing lately?

5.      I can’t believe that you ate/have eaten/have been eating three pizzas already! I only
brought/have only brought them in fifteen minutes ago!

6.      Don’t forget that you didn’t see/haven’t seen Mrs Dawson. She has waited/has been
waiting outside since 10.30.

7.      What did you think/have you thought of Brighton? Did you stay/Have you stayed
there long?

8.      I feel really tired. I weeded/have weeded/have been weeding the garden for the last
three hours and I didn’t rest/haven’t rested for a single moment.

9.      I’m having problems with David. He has called/has been calling me up in the middle
of the night and told/telling me his troubles.

10.  How long did you have/have you had/have you been having driving lessons? And did
you take/have you taken/have you been taking your test yet?

7 Complete each sentence with a suitable perfect or past tense form of the verb in
brackets.

1.      So far we (not/notice) _______________ anything unusual, but we (not/pay)

_______________ very close attention.

2.      I’m sorry I (not/come) _______________ to class lately.

3.      I (work) _______________ late in the evenings for the past fortnight.

4.      I wonder if Mary (reach) _______________ home yet? She (leave)

_______________ too late to catch the bus.

5.      Here is the news. The Home Office (announce) _______________ that the two
prisoners who (escape) _______________ from Dartmoor prison earlier this morning (give
themselves up) _______________ to local police.

6.      (you/make up) _______________ your minds? What (you/decide) _______________

to do?
7.      Harry (leave) _______________ home rather suddenly and we (not/hear)
_______________ from him since.

8.      Recent research (show) _______________ that Columbus (not/discovered)

_______________ America, but that Vikings (land) _______________ there five hundred
years before him.

9.      I think that people (become) _______________ tired of the poor quality of television
programmes, though they (improve) _______________ lately.

10.  (something/happen) _______________ to the phone lines? I (try) _______________ to

get through to Glasgow for the past hour.

8 Complete the second sentence so it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using
the word given. Do not change the word given.

1.      This has been my home for thirty years.

lived

I ______________________________ for thirty years.

2.      Eating Korean food is new to me.

never

I ______________________________ before.

3.      Tony hasn’t been to Paris before.

first

It’s ______________________________ to Paris

4.      We haven’t been swimming for ages.

since

It’s ______________________________ swimming.

5.      Mary started learning French five years ago.

has

Mary ______________________________ five years.

6.      I am on the tenth page of this letter I am writing.

ten

So far I ______________________________ of this letter.

7.      It’s over twenty years since they got married.

for

They have ______________________________ that twenty years.

8.      The last time I saw Dick was in 2007.

seen

I haven’t ______________________________ 2007.

9.      There is definite improvement in your work.

has

Lately ______________________________ improved.

10.  This is my second visit to Hungary.

visited

This is the ______________________________ Hungary.

9 Underline the correct phrase in each sentence.

1.      The price of petrol has risen/has been rising by 15% over the past year.

2.      No wonder you are overweight! You have eaten/You have been eating chocolates all
day long!

3.      I’ve read/I’ve been reading a really good book this morning.

4.      Doesn’t this room look better? I’ve put/I’ve been putting some posters up on the
walls.

5.      Don’t disappoint me! I’ve counted/I’ve been counting on you!

6.      Don’t forget your pill. Have you taken it/Have you been taking it?
7.      Who has worn/has been wearing my scarf?

8.      I think there’s something wrong with your motorbike. It’s made/It’s been making
some very funny noises.

9.      Jack has asked/ has been asking for a pay rise three times this year.

10.  I’ve been phoning/I’ve phoned Ann all evening, but there’s no reply.

10 Complete the text with the past simple, present perfect simple or present perfect
continuous of the verbs in brackets.

Three weeks ago I (1) __________ (move) to London, full of enthusiasm, to start a new
job, but ever since I (2) __________ (arrive) in the capital, I (3) __________ (wonder)
whether this was the right decision. Before coming here, I (4) __________ (hear) a lot of
great things about life in London, but since arriving I can’t really say that the city (5)
__________ (make) a favourable impression on me. It’s so crowded and the people are so
unfriendly, and I (6) __________ (spend) hour every day on the underground going to and
from work. You see, I (7) __________ (grow up) in a small town in Wales and I (8)
__________ (not be) away from home before. Of course, I (9) __________ (always/want)
to see the world, so when my company (10) __________ (offer) me a post in the London
office, I (11) __________ (jump) at the chance. The problem is that now I (12)
__________ (actually/start) living here, I can see that there are lots of reasons for being
back in Wales! In fact, according to a piece I (13) __________ (come across) in the paper
the other day, a lot of large companies (14) __________ (choose) to move away from the
centre of London recently. I feel so miserable that I (15) __________ (secretly/hope) my
company might decide to move too, and that I’ll be able to go back to Wales.