Grammar and usageOverview of tenses 1

present tenses2nd period

Describe what you’ve watched, using present tenses.

Check the answers(p9 A):

• I_____ tired, but happy today. I ______________ my play since January, and now I __________ for actors to perform in it. It ___ exciting to think of them saying the words I ________________ for months. I have already found one enthusiastic actor who ____super.

am

have been writingam looking

is

have been imagining

is

• He __________ a film right now, but ________________ to be in a play for many years.

• I _____________several advertisements for my play. We ___________them next week. Tickets ___________ on sale next week. Writing ______ tough work, but I _____ it will all be worthwhile, and I will be famous when the play ______.

is making has been planning

have designed are printing

are going is

hope opens

Check the answers(p9 B):

• I am performing at the Comedy Club tonight.

• I have been practising my jokes in front of the mirror for the last three hours.

• My family is coming to watch my show.

• I am nervous about the show.

Check the answers(p102C1):• 1. plays; has not had

• 2. leave

• 3. are making

• 4. Have see

• 5. are saving

• 6. don’t need

• 7. have taken

• 8. has been developing

Check the answers(p102C2):

• The environment in the north of China has improved greatly since the government took measures to plant more trees. Beijing has not been experiencing as many sandstorms as it used to. There have been three sandstorms in Beijing since the beginning of this year. This is good considering that Beijing experienced more than a dozen sandstorms a year during the 1990s.

• The Chinese government and the Chinese people are paying more attention to the environment now. Many trees have been planted in the west and even more will be planted over the next few years . The young trees are growing quickly. These trees will stop the soil from being carried away by strong winds. Unhealthy trees are cut down from time to time.

• The villagers in the west have been highly involved in the project. They plant trees, water them, and make sure their cows do not knock them down or eat them. They have been trying their best to protect the trees. It’s hard work but they think it’s worth it.

Consolidation exercises:

1. ---What would you do if it _____ tomorrow? ---We have to carry it on,

since we have got everything ready.

A. rain B. rains C. will rain D. is raining

2. Listen to the two girls by the window. What language_____?

A. did they speakB. were they speakingC. are they speakingD.have they been speaking

3. Scientists think that the continents _____ always where they _____ today.

A. aren’t; areB. aren’t; wereC. weren’t; areD.weren’t; were

4. Professor Smith, along with his assistants, _____ on the project day and night to meet the deadline.

A. work B. working C. is working D. are

working

5.They have a good knowledge of English but little _____ they know about German.

A. have B. did C. had D. do

6. ---What are you going to do this afternoon?

---I’m going to the cinema with some friends. The film_____ quite early, so we_____ to the bookstore after that.

A. finished; are going B. finished; go C. finishes; are going D. finishes; go

7. Millions of pounds’ worth of damage _____ by a storm which swept across the north of England last night.

A. has been caused B. had been caused C. will be caused D. will have been caused

8. He was hoping to go abroad but his parents _____ that they won’t support him unless he can borrow money from the bank.

A. were deciding B. have decided C. decided D. will decide

9. Since I won the big prize, my telephone hasn’t stopped ringing. People _____ to ask how I am going to spend the money.

A. phone B. will phone

C. were phoning D. are phoning

10. Nowadays, a large number of women, especially those from the countryside, _____ in the clothing industry.

A. is working B. works C. work D. worked

11. Months ago, we sailed ten thousand miles across this open sea, which _____ the Pacific, and we met no storms.

A. was called B. is called C. had been called D. has been called

12. With more forests being destroyed, huge quantities of good earth _____ each year.

A. is washing away B. is being washed away C. are washing away D. are being washed away

13. The country life he was used to _____ greatly since 1992.

A. change B. has changed

C. changing D. have changed

14. ---Are you still busy? ---Yes, I _____ my work, and

it won’t take long. A. just finish B. am just finishing C. have just finished D. am just going to finish

15. They ____on the program for almost one week before I joined them, and now we ______ on it as no good results have come out so far.

A. had been working; are still working

B. had worked; were still workingC. have been working; have workedD. have worked; are still working

16. Years ago we didn’t know this, but recent science_____ that people who don’t sleep well soon get ill.

A. showed B. has shown C. will show D. is showing

• How many have you got correct?

14-16 A10-13 B9-12 C8- D

1. The house belongs to my aunt but she_____ here any more.

A. hasn’t lived B. didn’t live C. hadn’t lived D. doesn’t live

2. As you can see, the number of cars on our roads _____ rising these days.

A. was keeping B. keep C. keeps D. were keeping

3.--- _____ leave at the end of this month.

---I don’t think you should do that until _____ another job.

A. I’m going to; you’d found B. I’m going to; you’ve found C. I’ll; you’ll find D. I’ll; you’d find

4. ---Where did you put the car keys? ---Oh, I _____ I put them on the chai

r because the phone rang as I ____ in.

A. remembered; come B. remembered; was comingC. remember; come D. remember; was coming

5. I have to go to work by taxi because my car_____ at the garage.

A. will be repaired B. is repaired C. is being repaired D. has been repaired

6. Customers are asked to make sure that they _____ the right change before leaving the shop.

A. will give B. have been given C. have given D. will be given

7. ---I was wondering if we could go skiing on the weekend.

---_____ good. A. Sound B. Sounded C. Sounding D. Sounds

8. I won’t tell the student the answer to the math problem until he_____ on it for more than an hour.

A. has been working B. will have worked C. will have been working D. had worked

9. The father as well as his three children _____ skating on the frozen river every Sunday afternoon in winter.

A. is going B. go C. goes D. are going

10. Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seat belts. The plane _____.

A. takes off B. is taking off

C. has taken off D. took off

11. Although the causes of cancer_____, we do not yet have any practical way to prevent it.

A. are being uncovered B. have been uncovering C. are uncovering D. have uncovered

12. Police are now searching for a woman who is reported to _____ since the flood hit the area last Friday.

A. have been missing B. have got lost C. be missing D. get lost

13. This machine_____. It hasn’t worked for years.

A. didn’t work B. wasn’t working C. doesn’t work D. isn’t working

14. My friend, who_____ on the International Olympic Committee all his life, is retiring next month.

A. served B. is serving C. had served D. has

served

15. Look at the timetable. Hurry up! Flight 4026_____ off at 18:20.

A. takes B. took C. will be taken D. has taken

16. At the foot of the mountain _____.

A. a village lie B. lies a village C. does a village D. lying a village

17. Most of what has been said about the Smiths_____ also true of the Johnsons.

A. are B. is C. being D. to be

18. The construction of the two new railway lines_____ by now.

A. has been completed B. have been completed

C. has completed D. have completed

19. ---I don’t suppose the police know who did it.

---Well, surprisingly they do. A man has been arrested and now_____.

A. has been questioned B. is being questioned

C. is questioning D. has questioned

20. Although medical science _____ control over several dangerous disease, what worries us is that some of them are returning.

A. achieved B. has achieved C. will achieve D. had achieved

21. A poet and artist_____ coming to speak to us about Chinese literature and painting tomorrow afternoon.

A. is B. are C. was D. were

22. Send my regards to your lovely wife when you_____ home.

A. wrote B. will write C. have written D. write

• Are you progressing?

20-22 A17-19 B14-16 C13- D

Fill in the blanks:• We have just moved into a new house

and I ________________hard all morning. I ______________to get my new room in order. This ___________ easy because I _____ over a thousand books. To make matters worse, the room is rather small, so I __________________ my books on the floor.

have been workinghave been trying

has not been own

have temporarily put

work; try; be; own; put

• At the moment, they ______every inch of floor space and I actually ______ walk on them to get in or out of the room. A short while ago, my sister ______me to carry one of my old bookcases up the stairs. She _____ into my room and got a big surprise when she saw all those books on the floor.

cover; have to; help; go

coverhave to

helpedwent

• 'This is the prettiest carpet I _____________,' she said. She gazed at it for some time then added, 'You _______________bookcases at all. You can sit here in your spare time and read the carpet!'

have ever seen

don’t need

ever see; need

• Finish relevant exercises on page 92-93 in Grammar book.