Present Continuous Tense Exercises
Put the verbs in brackets into the present continuous tense. In No. 25, have is used as an ordinary verb and can therefore be used in the continuous tense.
1 She (not work), she (swim) in the river.
2 He (teach) his boy to ride.
3 Why Ann (not wear) her new dress?
4 The airplane (fly) at 2,000 metres.
5 What Tom (do) now? He (clean) his shoes.
6 This fire (go) out. Somebody (bring) more coal?
7 It (rain)?~
Yes, it (rain) very hard. You can't go out yet.
8 Why you (mend) that old shirt?
9 You (not tell) the truth. ~
How do you know that I (not tell) the truth?
10 Who (move) the furniture about upstairs? ~
It's Tom. He (paint) the front bedroom.
11 Mrs Jones (sweep) the steps outside her house.
12 What you (read) now? I (read) Crime and Punishment.
13 It is a lovely day. The sun (shine) and the birds (sing).
14 Someone (knock) at the door. Shall I answer it? ~
I (come) in a minute. I just (wash) my hands.
15 She always (ring) up and (ask) questions.
16 Why you (make) a cake? Someone (come) to tea?
17 Where is Tom? ~
He (lie) under the car.
18 Can I borrow your pen or you (use) it at the moment?
19 You (do) anything this evening? ~
No, I'm not. -
Well, I (go) to the cinema. Would you like to come with me?
20 We (have) breakfast at 8.00 tomorrow as Tom (catch) an early train.
21 Ann usually does the shopping, but I (do) it today as she isn't well.
22 Why you (type) so fast? You (make) a lot of mistakes.
23 Mother (rest) now. She always rests after lunch.
24 They (dig) an enormous hole just outside my gate. ~
What they (do) that for? ~
I don't know. Perhaps they (look) for oil.
25 What (make) that terrible noise? ~
It's the pneumatic drill. They (repair) the road.
26 The children are very quiet. Go and see what they (do). -
They (cut) up some Ј5 notes.
27 What you (wait) for?-
I (wait) for my change; the boy just (get) it.
28 I can't hear what you (say); the traffic (make) too much noise.
29 She always (lose) her glasses and (ask) me to look for them.
30 Mother: What you (look) at? Something (happen) in the street?
31 Child: Yes. The house opposite is on fire! Come and look.
Mother: I can't. I (bath) the babies. Is the Fire Brigade here?
32 Child: Yes. Fire engines (rush) up and the firemen (jump) out and (unroll) their hoses.
33 Smoke (pour) from the windows! People (stop) to watch.
A policeman (try) to move them on.
34 An old man (climb) out of a first floor window!
A fireman (help) him! Two boys (slide) down a rope!
35 A woman (wave) from the attic and a fireman (go) up a ladder to help her!
36 Now he (come) down again! He (carry) a baby! The crowd (cheer!
1 She (not work), she (swim) in the river.
2 He (teach) his boy to ride.
3 Why Ann (not wear) her new dress?
4 The airplane (fly) at 2,000 metres.
5 What Tom (do) now? He (clean) his shoes.
6 This fire (go) out. Somebody (bring) more coal?
7 It (rain)?~
Yes, it (rain) very hard. You can't go out yet.
8 Why you (mend) that old shirt?
9 You (not tell) the truth. ~
How do you know that I (not tell) the truth?
10 Who (move) the furniture about upstairs? ~
It's Tom. He (paint) the front bedroom.
11 Mrs Jones (sweep) the steps outside her house.
12 What you (read) now? I (read) Crime and Punishment.
13 It is a lovely day. The sun (shine) and the birds (sing).
14 Someone (knock) at the door. Shall I answer it? ~
I (come) in a minute. I just (wash) my hands.
15 She always (ring) up and (ask) questions.
16 Why you (make) a cake? Someone (come) to tea?
17 Where is Tom? ~
He (lie) under the car.
18 Can I borrow your pen or you (use) it at the moment?
19 You (do) anything this evening? ~
No, I'm not. -
Well, I (go) to the cinema. Would you like to come with me?
20 We (have) breakfast at 8.00 tomorrow as Tom (catch) an early train.
21 Ann usually does the shopping, but I (do) it today as she isn't well.
22 Why you (type) so fast? You (make) a lot of mistakes.
23 Mother (rest) now. She always rests after lunch.
24 They (dig) an enormous hole just outside my gate. ~
What they (do) that for? ~
I don't know. Perhaps they (look) for oil.
25 What (make) that terrible noise? ~
It's the pneumatic drill. They (repair) the road.
26 The children are very quiet. Go and see what they (do). -
They (cut) up some Ј5 notes.
27 What you (wait) for?-
I (wait) for my change; the boy just (get) it.
28 I can't hear what you (say); the traffic (make) too much noise.
29 She always (lose) her glasses and (ask) me to look for them.
30 Mother: What you (look) at? Something (happen) in the street?
31 Child: Yes. The house opposite is on fire! Come and look.
Mother: I can't. I (bath) the babies. Is the Fire Brigade here?
32 Child: Yes. Fire engines (rush) up and the firemen (jump) out and (unroll) their hoses.
33 Smoke (pour) from the windows! People (stop) to watch.
A policeman (try) to move them on.
34 An old man (climb) out of a first floor window!
A fireman (help) him! Two boys (slide) down a rope!
35 A woman (wave) from the attic and a fireman (go) up a ladder to help her!
36 Now he (come) down again! He (carry) a baby! The crowd (cheer!