Present Simple vs. Present Continuous - Exercise 3 - Worksheet ... - Free Printable

Task Overview:

The task requires completing sentences using either the Present Simple or Present Continuous tense. The choice depends on whether the action is a regular, habitual activity (Present Simple) or an ongoing action happening at the moment (Present Continuous).

Solution and Explanation:

#### 1. Currently, I ________ a science fiction book. (read)
- Answer: am reading
- Explanation: The word "currently" indicates that the action is happening right now, so we use the Present Continuous tense.

#### 2. ________ it usually ________ here in the winter? (rain)
- Answer: Does, rain
- Explanation: The phrase "usually" suggests a habitual action, so we use the Present Simple tense. Since the sentence is a question, we use "does" as the auxiliary verb.

#### 3. Emily ________ a lot these days. (eat)
- Answer: is eating
- Explanation: The phrase "these days" implies that the action is currently happening, so we use the Present Continuous tense.

#### 4. Chris ________ his friends tonight. (meet)
- Answer: will meet
- Explanation: The word "tonight" indicates a future action, so we use the Future Simple tense ("will + verb"). However, since the instruction specifically asks for Present Simple or Present Continuous, this might be a slight oversight in the exercise. If forced to choose between the two, we would lean toward Present Simple because it can sometimes imply a scheduled event.

#### 5. Please don’t bother me. I ________ my homework. (do)
- Answer: am doing
- Explanation: The context "Please don’t bother me" suggests that the action is happening right now, so we use the Present Continuous tense.

#### 6. We ________ tennis every Saturday. (play)
- Answer: play
- Explanation: The phrase "every Saturday" indicates a regular, habitual activity, so we use the Present Simple tense.

#### 7. The water ________. Can you turn it off? (boil)
- Answer: is boiling
- Explanation: The request "Can you turn it off?" implies that the action is happening right now, so we use the Present Continuous tense.

#### 8. They ________ me quite well. (know)
- Answer: know
- Explanation: The sentence describes a general fact or habitual knowledge, so we use the Present Simple tense.

#### 9. The train ________ at 4 pm. (leave)
- Answer: leaves
- Explanation: The specific time "at 4 pm" indicates a scheduled, habitual event, so we use the Present Simple tense.

#### 10. Look! The dog ________ on your shoe. (chew)
- Answer: is chewing
- Explanation: The word "Look!" indicates that the action is happening right now, so we use the Present Continuous tense.

#### 11. I ________ about my private life only with my close friends and parents. (talk)
- Answer: talk
- Explanation: The sentence describes a general habit or preference, so we use the Present Simple tense.

Final Answers:

1. am reading
2. Does, rain
3. is eating
4. meets (or will meet, depending on interpretation)
5. am doing
6. play
7. is boiling
8. know
9. leaves
10. is chewing
11. talk

Boxed Final Answer:

\boxed{
\begin{aligned}
1. & \text{ am reading} \\
2. & \text{ Does, rain} \\
3. & \text{ is eating} \\
4. & \text{ meets} \text{ (or will meet)} \\
5. & \text{ am doing} \\
6. & \text{ play} \\
7. & \text{ is boiling} \\
8. & \text{ know} \\
9. & \text{ leaves} \\
10. & \text{ is chewing} \\
11. & \text{ talk} \\
\end{aligned}
}