Se suele utilizar con expresiones como always, usually, often, sometimes,

never, every day/week/year, once/twice a year/month/week, on + [un día de la

semana en plural], at night, in the morning, in the summer, etc.

Suele ir acompañado de las expresiones now, right now, at the moment, today,
these days, this week, etc..

1. John play plays am playing is playing are playing football at the
moment.
2. We often write writes am writing is writing are writing tests at our
school.
3. I talk talks am talking is talking are talking to my teacher now.
4. Look! Mandy and Susan watch watches am watching is
watching are watching a film on TV.
5. Olivia visit visits am visiting is visiting are visiting her uncle
every weekend.
6. Now the sun shine shines am shining is shining are shining .
7. They sometimes read reads am reading is reading are
reading poems in the lessons.
8. Listen! The band test tests am testing is testing are testing the
new guitar.
9. First I wash washes am washing is washing are washing , then I
dress.
10. Every morning my mother get gets am getting is getting are
getting up at 6 o'clock.

1. Andy sometimes comics. (to read)

2. We never TV in the morning. (to watch)
3. Listen! Sandy in the bathroom. (to sing)
4. My sister usually in the kitchen. (to help)
5. My mother breakfast now. (to make)
6. They often the bathroom. (to clean)
7. Look! The boys home. (to come)
8. Every day his grandfather for a walk. (to go)
9. I with my friend at the moment. (to chat)
10. Cats mice. (to eat)
 1. Look! That lady her uniform. (not/to wear)
2. Our cat seldom on the sofa. (to lie)
3. they at the moment? (to text)
4. I supermarkets, but my father doesn't. (to
like)
5. What the man in our garden? (to do)
6. We the bus to school. (not/to take)
7. Where you from? (to come)
8. your girlfriend always green T-shirts? (to wear)
9. I a cup of tea now. (to have)
10. the boy in the pool right now? (to swim)

Q1 - I ____ a great time on this holiday.

Have am having Either could be used here.

Q2 - She's Italian- she ____ from Pisa.

Comes is coming Either could be used here.

Q3 - '_____ your meal?' 'Yes, it's very good.'

Are you enjoying Do you enjoy Either could be used here.

Q4 - Many scientists believe global warming ____.

really happens is really happening Either could be used here.

Q5 - This term, I ____ Latin.

study am studying

Q6 - ____ to see us next month?

Do you come Are you coming Either could be used here.

Q7 - Let me know when you ____ this letter.

Receive are receiving Either could be used here.

Q8 - They ____ to do it now.

want are wanting Either could be used here.

Q9 - I _____ it.

don't understand am not understanding Either could be used here.

Q10 - Water ____ at a hundred degrees.

boils is boiling Either could be used here.

Q11 - Smoking _____ cancer.

causes is causing Either could be used here.

Q12 - I ____ a lot of progress at the moment.

make am making Either could be used here.

Q13 - It _____ me a lot at the moment.

worries is worrying Either could be used here.

Q14 - Don't pay attention- he ____ stupid.

is just is just being Either could be used here.

Q15 - I ____ up at seven o'clock on weekdays.

get am getting Either could be used here.

Q16 - He _____ silly questions.

always asks is always asking Either could be used here.

THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE:

ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

In a statement, a one-word frequency adverb usually comes after the verb be but
before other verbs. In a question, it usually comes after the subject.

Adverbs tell us in what way someone does something. Adverbs can modify verbs,
adjectives or other adverbs.

Adjectives tell us something about a person or a thing. Adjectives can modify

nouns or pronouns.

Examples Notes
Students are always busy. Here are the meanings of
He’s often hungry. frequency adverbs in
Affirmative She sometimes gets sick. approximate percentage
Students occassionally meet. of time:
They’re seldom together. Always 100 percent
I’m not often tired. Usually 70 percent
Kim isn’t always here. Often 60 percent
Tony is never late. Sometimes 40 percent
Negative She doesn’t often rest. Occasionally 10 percent
They don’t usually study. Seldom 5 percent
Never 0 percent

Are you often homesick? Use ever only in negative

Does the teacher ever give quizes? statements
Do you ever not do your homework? And in questions. Not
Questions
ever = never. (He’s never
late. = He isn’t ever late.)

PHRASES OF FREQUENCY

A frequency phrase usually follows the verb phrase.

Examples Notes
He teaches three times a week. Here are examples of frequency
We have a test every month. phrases: every day, every other week,
Do you relax now and then? every two hours, once a year, now and
then.


1. He listens to the radio. (often)
2. They read a book. (sometimes)
3. Pete gets angry. (never)
4. Tom is very friendly. (usually)
5. I take sugar in my coffee. (sometimes)
6. Ramon and Frank are hungry. (often)
7. My grandmother goes for a walk in the evening. (always)
8. Walter helps his father in the kitchen. (usually)
9. They watch TV in the afternoon. (never)
10. Christine smokes. (never)

1. Our teacher, Mrs Jones, (never / be) late for

lessons.

2. I (often / clean) my bedroom at the weekend.

3. My brother (hardly ever / help) me with my

homework.

4. I (sometimes / be) bored in the maths lessons.

5. We (rarely / watch) football on TV.

6. You and Tony (never / play) computer games

with me.
7. You (usually / be) at the sports centre on

Sunday.
8. The school bus (always / arrive) at half past
eight.

EXERCISE XLIX:
Arrange the words under the lines into sentences in brackets / in parenthesis.

Tony: You often look tired___________________________, Hiroshi.

(tired / look / often)

________________________________________________?
1. (go / eight hours of sleep / you / usually / Don’t)

Hiroshi: No.______________________________________________.
2. (I / five days a week / eight o’clock classes / have)

But______________________________________________.
3. (rarely / before 2:00 A.M. / get to bed / I)

Tony: Why, Hiroshi?______________________________________?

4. (Do / go out / every night / you)

Hiroshi: Oh, no.____________________________________________.

5. (never / during the week / I / go out)

________________________________________________.
6. (My roommate and I / every night / study together)

________________________________________________.
7. (before 1:00 in the morning / usually / don’t / finish / We)

In fact,__________________________________________.
8. (seldom / goes to bed / my roommate / before 3:00)

Tony: That sounds terrible.________________________________.

9. (work so hard / always / you / Do)

Hiroshi: Yes, because_____________________________________?

10. (always / worried about grades / we’re)

Tony: Well, you`ll graduate soon, right? What do you plan to do then?

Hiroshi: Sleep!
Always usually often sometimes seldom rarely never

1. I see one or two movies every week. I often go to the movies.

2.I let my roommate borrow my car one time last year. I ____________
let my roommate borrow my car.

3.Maria eats cereal for breakfast seven days a week. Maria ___________
eats cereal for breakfast.

4.Four out of five visitors to the museum stay for three hours or longer.
Museum visitors _____________ stay for at least three hours.

5. We occasionally have quizes in Dr. Jacobos’s history class. Dr. Jacobs

_______________ gives quizzes in history class.

6. If the teacher is on time, the class begins at 8:00 A.M. Once in a while, the
teacher is a few minutes late the class ______________ begins at 8:00 A.M.

7. The train from Chicago has been late ninety percent of the time. The train
from Chicago is ________________ on time.

8. In the desert, it rains only two days between May and September every year. It
_____________ rains there in the summer.

9.James asks me to go the sailboat races every year, but I don’t accept his
invitation because I think sailboat racing is boring. I _____________
go to sailboat races with James.

10. Andy and Lui are friends. They go out to dinner at least three times a week.
Andy and Lui _______________ go out to dinner with each other.

EXERCISE LII:
Use the frequency adverbs and the present tense to write sentences.
 I N S P I R AT I O N 3

Worksheet 11

Used to + infinitive
1 Complete the sentences with these words. 4 John _______________ like Mary, but he
doesn’t now.
didn’t use to used to use to
a) used to b) use to c) didn’t use to
1 What did you _______ throw away? 5 People _______________ produce as much
2 We _______ throw things away. ✘ rubbish as we do nowadays.
3 We _______ keep things we might want a) used to b) use to c) didn’t use to
later. ✔ 6 Did you _______________ collect anything
when you were young?
2 Choose the correct words to complete each a) used to b) use to c) didn’t use to
sentence.
200 years ago … 4 Complete these sentences with used to or
1 … people used to / didn’t use to make their didn’t use to.
own clothes. 1 I _______________ play the guitar, but I do
2 … people used to / didn’t use to have now.
mobile phones. 2 I _______________ ride a bike, but I don’t any
3 … people used to / didn’t use to read books. more.
4 … people used to / didn’t use to watch TV. 3 I _______________ collect stamps, but I don’t
5 … people used to / didn’t use to drive cars. any more.
6 … people used to / didn’t use to walk 4 I _______________ enjoy getting up early, but I
everywhere. do now.
5 I _______________ be worried about the
3 Choose the correct words to complete each environment, but I am now.
sentence.
6 I _______________ be afraid of flying, but I’m
1 Why did people _______________ mend their
not anymore.
clothes?
7 I _______________ know how to use a
a) used to b) use to c) didn’t use to
computer, but I do now.
2 I _______________ like watching football, but
now I do.
a) used to b) use to c) didn’t use to
3 What did you _______________ like doing
when you were young?
a) used to b) use to c) didn’t use to

This page has been downloaded from www.macmillanenglish.com/inspiration

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2006.
TENSES T 23

Past Tense – Simple or progressive

1. It ______________________ (rain) when we __________________ (come) out of the shopping

centre.

2. It _________________(happen) very quickly. The car ______________________ (come) out of the

side road and then the van ______________________ (drive) into the back of it.

3. I ______________________ (be) ill last week.

4. He ______________________ (break)his leg when he ______________________ (ski) .

5. I ______________________ (look)out of the window and saw that people __________________

(walk) in the park.

6. Emma ______________________ (pass) her exam a few weeks ago.

7. When we ______________________ (see) the spaceship we ___________________(stop) the car.

8. When ______________________ (you buy) the car? – I ______________________ (buy) it a few

years ago.

9. He ______________________ (sit) in the garden when a wasp ______________________(sting)

him in the nose.

10. Claire ______________________ (go) to Egypt last month.

11. She ______________________ (have) a beautiful dream when the alarm clock ________________
(ring).

12. The car ______________________ (stop) at the lights.

13. We ______________________ (drive) home in the middle of the night when we ______________
(see) a flashing light.

14. Soft music ______________________ (play) when I ______________________ (go) into the room.

15. ______________________ (you buy) that bag while I ______________________ (look) after the
children?

16. It ______________________ (be) peaceful and the birds ______________________ (sing).

17. Was _________________________(Jimmy, already wait) for you when you

______________________ (get) there?

18. I ______________________ (ring) at about 3 o’clock yesterday, but you

______________________ (not pick) up the phone. – What ______________________ (you do) ?
– I ______________________ (help) Dad in the garden so I probably ______________________
(not hear)it.

19. I ______________________ (lie) in the bath when the phone ______________________ (ring). It
______________________ (stop) after a few rings.

20. It ______________________ (be) cold when we ______________________ (leave) the house that
day.

www.english-grammat.at
SIMPLE PAST / PRESENT PERFECT

1. I …………………… very lucky. (be)

2. We…………………… to the cinema yesterday. (go)
3. I …………………… any of my friends so far. (not see)
4. There……………………any letters today. There ……………………a lot yesterday. (be)
5. Induráin……………………his first Tour in1991. (win)
6. ……………………you ever……………………Mexican food? (try)
7. She…………………… four times. She first……………………when she was 18. (marry)
8. Real Madrid ……………………8 Champions’ Leagues. (get)
9. I ……………………her a second ago. (see)
10. She……………………already……………………to her parents about it. (talk)
11. I really……………………fun at the party last night. (have)
12. Yesterday it …………………… all day. (rain)
13. It ……………………a lot this winter. (snow)
14. It ……………………a lot last winter. (not snow)
15. She ……………………never……………………ill one day in her life. (be)
16. I’m not hungry. I ……………………already……………………breakfast. (have)
17. I’m hungry. I …………………… breakfast yet. (not have)
18. Jenny …………………… in Monrovia for two years. Then she…………………… to
Freetown. (live / move)
19. Jenny …………………… and …………………… in Freetown for three years now.
(live / work)
20. I …………………… anywhere last summer. (not go)
21. …………………… you ever …………………… a hat? (wear)
22. When ……………………you …………………… married? (get)
23. She …………………… just …………………… back from a trip round the world. (get)
24. I …………………… very well. (sleep)
25. These people …………………… in those fields for years and years now. (work)
26. Pam …………………… a new car. She …………………… it last Tuesday. (buy)
27. Pam …………………… a crash with her new car. (have)
28. So far I …………………… as a salesman. (work)
29. Two valuable paintings …………………… from the Prado Museum. (disappear)
30. The harvest …………………… excellent this year. (be)