Life

Pre-intermediate Unit 1a(1)

LESSON 9: TENSE REVISION
Present simple

Tips and advice for foreign students in the UK

Over 150,000 overseas students live and study in the UK.

Read what some of them think.

Do people in the UK seem friendly?
My experience is very positive. British people like meeting people
from other countries.
Rosa, Chile

What differences do you notice?

People say the English are very punctual but I don’t think it’s true.
For example, my physics class never starts on time.
Frank, Switzerland

Presentation

Use the present simple tense to talk about … Affirmative

• facts (things that are always or currently true):
I / You / We / They live
Over 150,000 overseas students live and study in the UK.
He / She / It lives
in the UK.
• repeated events and routines: Negative
I have a Physics classes every Monday at 9 a.m.
I / You / We / They don’t (do not)
It never starts on time! think it’s true.
He / She / It does not (doesn’t)
• likes/dislikes and opinions:
British people like meeting people from other countries. You usually use the contracted forms don’t/doesn’t when
I don’t think it’s true. speaking and writing informally.

Third person (he/she/it) -s: key spelling rules Questions and short answers
You usually add -s: live → lives Do I / you / we / they
However, there are exceptions: seem friendly?
Does he / she / it
1 Add -es to verbs ending in -ch, -o, -s, -ss, -sh,
and -x: watch → watches, go → goes I / you / we / they do. I / you / we / they don’t.
Yes, No,
2 Change verbs ending in consonant + y to -i: he / she / it does. he / she / it doesn’t.
study → studies
3 Do NOT change the ending -y after a vowel: do I / you / we / they
Where come from?
buy → buys NOT buies does he / she / it
4 Note also have → has

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 Pre-intermediate Unit 1a(1)
Exercises

Exercises
1 Complete the sentences with the present simple form of the verbs in the box.

cost enjoy feel go have live study take travel understand

1 Ricki goes to English lessons twice a week.

2 The US President in the White House.
3 We always the bus to work at eight in the morning.
4 This bicycle over 500.
5 He playing computer games with his friends.
6 Most people in France their summer holiday in July and August.
7 Nigel and Bruce for their exams in the evenings.
8 The moon round the Earth at 3,683 kilometres per hour.
9 How do you today? Are you better?
10 I don’t this question. Can you help me?

2  Complete the interview for a school magazine. Use the present simple form
of the verbs in brackets. Then listen and check.

Gabi Teschner, a German exchange student, is spending three months in the USA.
Interviewer: do you notice (notice) about students in the USA?
What 1 ................................................
Gabi: They 2 get up
........................ (get up) very early for school.
3
Interviewer: What time ................................................. (school/start) in Germany?
4
Gabi: We also .............................. (begin) at eight o’clock, but in the USA the
5
school day .............................. (last) longer. Also the timetable 6 ..........................
(not give) much time for breaks and lunch.
Gabi Teschner
Interviewer: What 7 .............................. (you think) of American food, Gabi?
Gabi: I 8 .............................. (like) the breakfasts because they are similar to Germany
but the school lunch 9 .............................. (not taste) very good. It’s always
burgers or pizza and fries.
Interviewer: And what 10 .............................. (students do) in their free time?
Gabi: Sport is very important in the USA, so they 11 .............................. (play)
baseball or football after school.
12
Interviewer: .............................. (you play) these sports in Germany?
Gabi: Yes, I’m in a women’s football team, but we 13 .............................. (not use)
an oval ball. Our footballs, or soccer balls, are round!

3 Correct the sentences. Three sentences are correct.

1 Everyone has a mobile phone these days. ✓ 6 The children like the cake.
2 What time does you get up? do 7 How often does he goes to the gym?
3 I doesn’t believe everything in 8 It not feel very comfortable.
newspapers. 9 My sister studys modern languages at
4 Do they like meeting people? university.
5 The postman bring the letters in the 10 W hat similarities you see between the two
morning. nationalities?
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Life
Pre-intermediate Unit 1b
Present simple and present continuous

I’m currently
The moon orbits
orbiting the Earth
the Earth once a
at a speed of
day at a speed of
28,000 kilometres
3,683 kilometres
per hour!
per hour.

Presentation

Present simple Present continuous

Use the present simple to talk about … Use the present continuous to talk about …
• facts and things that are always true: • actions happening now:
The moon orbits the Earth once a day. (= this is I’m currently orbiting the Earth. (= this is
always true) happening now)
• things that are generally true: • something that is happening now or around now:
I often have problems with my computer. (= this is I’m having lots of problems with my computer.
generally true) (= at the moment)
• general tendencies and repeated situations: • changing situations:
It gets cold at this time of year. (= every year) It’s getting colder. (= at the moment)
• permanent situations: • temporary or new situations:
Where does he live? He lives with his mum. Where is he living now? He’s staying with friends
(= there’s no plan to change this situation) (= for the moment, but this situation will change)

Stative verbs Time expressions and adverbs

You usually use the present simple with verbs such You often use these adverbs and expressions with the
as be, like, believe, look, understand and know. These present simple tense: always, sometimes, every day,
verbs describe states. You rarely use them in the present all the time.
continuous form: You often use these time expressions with the present
I understand what you mean. ✓ continuous: at the moment, currently, now, today.
I’m understanding what you mean. ✗

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 Pre-intermediate Unit 1b
Exercises

Exercises
1 Choose the correct forms.
1 T he Earth has / is having a population of 6.7 billion people.
2 The climate of the Earth becomes / is becoming warmer at the moment.
3 As you move towards the equator, the temperature becomes / is becoming warmer.
4 You live in France now but where do you come / are you coming from originally?
5 M  y family lives / is living in Nigeria for two years. After that we’ll move to Alaska.
6 Sorry, I can’t hear you because I stand / ’m standing on the platform at the train station.
7 T  he train comes / is coming into the station now. I’ll be home in ten minutes.
8 T  his car never starts / is never starting in the winter.
9 How often do you take / are you taking a holiday?
10 Do you understand / Are you understanding what I’m saying?
2 Complete the article about an internet businessman. Use the present simple or
present continuous forms of the verbs in brackets.
A day in the life of Simon Nixon of www.moneysupermarket.com

I normally 1 ........................................ (get up) at seven o’clock, but

this week I 2 ........................................ (start) work earlier because
it’s a busy period. I 3 ........................................ (usually arrive) at
work by nine and I 4 ........................................ (check) my emails.
Today, I 5 ........................................ (work) on reports on our
websites, because these tell me how many people
6
(currently visit) our websites. For example, we 7 ........................................ (have) about six
........................................

million visitors every month and this number 8 ........................................ (increase). We 9 ........................................
(also make) a lot of improvements to our sites at the moment. The internet business is very competitive
and it 10 ........................................ (get) harder to stay at the top.

3 Complete these questions for Simon. Use the present simple or present continuous forms.
1 What time do you get up?
At seven o’clock.
2 W
 hy earlier this week?
Because it’s a busy period.
3 When at work?
Around nine.
4 What today?
The reports on our websites.
5 How many people every month?
About 6 million.
6 the number of people who visit your sites ?
Yes, it is.
7 easier to stay at the top?
No it isn’t.
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Life
Pre-intermediate Unit 4a
Past simple

Did you go to the cinema

yesterday?
Yes, I did. We saw the film
Blade Runner.

Who did you go with?

Brian. He wanted to see it.

Was it good?
I didn’t like it but Brian
loved it.

Presentation
Use the past simple to talk about actions and situations to be
in the past.
was
I / He / She / it
to be wasn’t (was not)
very good.
The past simple forms of to be are was and were: were
You / We / They
weren’t (were not)
The film was good. The actors were great.
I / he / Yes, I / he / she / it was.
Regular Verbs Was
she / it No, I / he / she / it wasn’t.
With most other verbs add -ed to make affirmative forms: good?
you / we / Yes, you / we / they were.
Were
want → wanted, like → liked they No, you / we / they weren’t.
Use did/didn’t + infinitive to form questions and negatives.
Other verbs
Did you like the film?
I didn’t like it. I / you / he / she / liked
the film.
it / we / they didn’t like
Use did/didn’t to form short answers.
Did you like it? No, I didn’t.
I / you / he / she / it /
Who did go with?
we / they
Irregular Verbs
I / you / he / she / it /
Some verbs have an irregular affirmative form in the Did like the film?
we / they
past simple:
see → saw, go → went Yes, I / you / he / No, I / you / he /
did. didn’t.
she / it / we / they she / it / we / they
Time expressions
Here are some common time expressions often used Key spelling rules
with the past simple: yesterday, last week, last year, two
You may sometimes need to make small changes to the
years ago, five minutes ago
spelling of the verb:
live → lived (not liveed) cry → cried (not cryed)

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 Pre-intermediate Unit 4a
Exercises

Exercises
1 Put the words in the correct order to make questions.
1 night what you last do did?
2 see you what film did?
3 actors were who the?
4 about was what it?
5 it you enjoy did?
2 Match the responses a–e to the questions in Exercise 1. Then listen and check.
a Yes, it was great.
b A writer and an actress who fell in love.
c An old black and white film called In A Lonely Place.
d We went to the cinema.
e Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame.
3 Complete the conversations with the past simple form of the verb in brackets or a short answer.
Conversation 1
A: 1 Did you watch (you / watch) the football last night?
B: No, I 2 .3 (it / be) a good match?
A: 
Yes, it 4
. It was a very close match so you 5 (not / know) who would win until the
end.
B: So 6 (Real Madrid / win)?
A: Yes, they 7 , but only just.

Conversation 2
A: I 8 (see) Louise and her husband last week.
B: How 9
(be) they?
A: OK, but 10
(you / hear) about her job?
B: No, I 11
. What happened?
A: She 12
(ask) her company for a pay rise, but they 13 (not / give) it to her.
So she 14 (leave).

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Life
Pre-intermediate Unit 4b
Past continuous and past simple

It was winter. I was staying with

my grandparents at the time. One
day I needed to go to London. My
grandparents offered to drive me to
the station. It was snowing and the
traffic was moving really slowly so
I decided to get out and walk. As I
arrived at the station the last
passengers were getting on the train.
I ran to the platform, but it was too
late. The train was leaving the station.

Presentation

Use the past continuous to talk about actions and Past continuous and past simple
situations in progress at a particular moment in the past: You can use the past continuous with the past simple to
It was snowing and the traffic was moving really slowly. talk about two actions that happened at the same time.
Use the past continuous to talk about the action which
Past continuous was already in progress. Use the past simple to talk
Affirmative and negative about a second, shorter action:

was
I / he / she / it
wasn’t (was not) She arrived on the platform
running.
were time
We / you / they
weren’t (were not)
The train was leaving the station

Questions and short answers When she arrived at the platform, the train was leaving
the station.
was I / he / she / it
Where going?
were we / you / they

The second, shorter action sometimes interrupts the

Yes, I / he / she / it was. No, I / he / she / it wasn’t.
action already in progress:
Yes, you / we / they were. No, you / we / they weren’t.

The ticket collector stopped me

You also often use the past continuous to describe the
time
background to a story:
It was winter. I was staying with my grandparents at the I was running up the stairs
time.
I was running up the stairs to the platform when the
Do not use the past continuous with stative verbs: ticket collector stopped me.
I needed … (not I was needing.)

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 Pre-intermediate Unit 4b
Exercises

Exercises
1 Complete the sentences with was, were, wasn’t or weren’t.
1 What you doing at ten o’clock last night?
2 Why he running away so fast?
3 He doing his homework. He watching TV instead!
4 They disturbing the neighbours with their loud music.
5 I’m sorry. I working late at the office and I forgot to call.
6 Sorry, we listening. What did you say?
7 She living there for very long, only a few weeks, I think.
8 They having problems with their car, so they took a taxi.
2  Choose the correct form of the verb. Then listen and check.
Conversation 1
A: What 1did you do / were you doing at 2 a.m. this morning? 2Did you have / Were you having a party?
B: No, not a party. We 3invited / were inviting some friends round for dinner. Why?
A: The music was really loud! I 4tried / was trying to get to sleep.
B: Sorry! I 5didn’t know / wasn’t knowing it was so loud.
Conversation 2
C: Oh! Hello! I didn’t know you 6waited / were waiting for me. I 7spoke / was speaking to Mark on the phone.
D: It’s OK. I 8finished / was finishing work about half an hour ago. Would you like to go for a quick coffee?
Have you got time?
C: Yes, I have. I 9just looked / was just looking at a report, but I can finish it later.
3 Complete the text with the past continuous or past simple form of the verbs.

A man 1 (walk) down the street. It 2 (be) a beautiful

day – the sun 3
(shine) and the birds 4
(sing). The
man 5
(walk) past a park bench when he 6
(see) a piece
of paper on the floor. He 7
(pick) it up. It 8
(be) a lottery ticket.
He 9
(cross) the street to a shop where a woman 10
(write) the
winning lottery numbers on a board. He 11
(read) the numbers on the board and
12
(look) at the numbers on his ticket. He couldn’t believe his eyes! As he
13
(walk) out of the shop, he 14 (dream) about how he
would spend his three-million-pound prize!

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