Choose the correct present form.

1. Is David at home? — Yes, but he ___ a shower at the moment. (is having / has)

2. He ___ the train to work every morning. (is taking / takes)

3. I ___ television in the morning. (am never watching / never watch)

4. Please be quiet. I ___ to the radio. (am listening / listen)

5. I ___ to tell you my news. (am writing / write)

6. We ___ on holiday twice a year. (are going / go)

7. It rarely ___ very hot in Britain. (is getting / gets)

8. It ___ colder and colder every day. (is getting / gets)

9. ___ sunglasses in the winter? (Are you wearing / Do you wear)

10. Leave me alone! I ___ to concentrate. (am trying / try)

Complete the sentences with the correct present form of the verbs in brackets to express a permanent or a temporary action.

1. I always ___ (wear) a shirt and tie to work.

2. Linda ___ (learn) to drive at the moment.

3. Robert is a vegetarian. He ___ (not eat) meat.

4. I ___ (live) with my sister until my new house is ready.

5. I ___ (stay) with my parents at the moment, though I ___ (have) my own flat.

6. Would you like a cup of coffee? — No, thank you, I ___ (not drink) coffee.

7. Michael’s car broke down last week, so he ___ (use) his father’s for the time being.

Complete the sentences putting the verbs in brackets in the Present Continuous or the Present Simple.

1. My sister really makes me angry. She ___ (always / borrow) my things without asking me.

2. Peter ___ (always / catch) the 8.05 train home.

3. You ___ (constantly / interrupt) me when I’m talking.

4. Her younger brother ___ (always / lose) the keys.

5. I ___ (always / buy) food in that shop.

6. My neighbours are too noisy. They ___ (always / shout) at each other.

Put the verbs in brackets in the Present Continuous or the Present Simple tense to express a future action.

1. The train from Sydney ___ (arrive) at 8:30.

2. I ___ (meet) John at 5 o’clock.

3. Where ___ (go) on honeymoon?

4. This year we ___ (go) to Colorado on a five-day skiing trip.

5. The swimming pool ___ (close) at 20:30 in the evening.

6. George ___ (get) married next month.

7. We ___ (visit) some friends in Scotland next week.

8. What time ___ the tennis tournament ___ tomorrow evening? (open)

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct present form.

1. What ___ (you / look) at? — The sky. It ___ (look) as if it’s going to rain.

2. I really ___ (enjoy) home-made food. — So do I, and I ___ (enjoy) every bit of this meal.

3. Will they be ready tomorrow? — Yes, I ___ (believe) so.

4. He ___ (think) himself very clever.

5. I ___ (think) about buying a new car soon.

6. I am sorry I ___ (am not understanding / don’t understand)

7. I ___ he’s already here. (am believing / believe)

8. ___ (you / consider) it wise to interfere?

9. I ___ (consider) changing my job.

10. ___ (you / like) driving fast cars?

How do you remember all the things you have to do each day / week / month? Read the article and find out how many of your ideas are mentioned. Do you agree with the other ideas?

TIME-SAVING TIPS

Making lists is relaxing. It makes you feel important – all those things to do. It calms you down (it’s OK, it’s on a list somewhere) and it makes you feel good when you cross something off.

The world divides into two types of list-makers. Type A makes orderly lists, prioritises and calmly sets to work on them. Type В waits until panic sets in, grabs the nearest envelope and scribbles¹ all over it, sighs with relief and promptly loses it.

The more you have to do, the more you need a list, and few people with high-powered jobs get by without them.

Julie Rost, chief executive² of a large chain of supermarkets, says, “Before I go to bed, I have to write down everything that’s going to stop me sleeping. If I write something down, I feel I won’t forget it, so my lists are a great comfort.”

Jane Levy used to write Lists, but she would forget where she put them and then waste precious time looking for them. Then a couple of years ago she came up with a new system. Now she writes key words on the back of her hand! “At least I can’t lose it,’ she says. True, but too many trips to the bathroom could have disastrous results.

Des O’Brien, a self-employed business consultant, uses another method for organising his time. He writes a list of things to do and then organises them into categories: things that have to be done straight away; other things that it would be good to do today; things that are important but don’t have to be done immediately; and things that he can put off but that he doesn’t want to forget. “Using categories to order the world is the way the human mind works,” he says.

It’s all a question of what works best for you, whether it’s a tidy notebook, a forest of Post-it^® notes or the back of your hand. Having tried all these, Kerry Johns, student, relies on her personal organiser. “My personal organiser has changed my life,” she says. “Up to now, I’ve always relied on my good memory, but now that I’m working and studying, I find I’ve got too much to keep in my head.”

So what are you waiting for? There’s no better time than the present to take control of your work and life. So, get out your pencil and paper and make a list.

Sue Kay & Vaughan Jones, New Inside Out, Macmillan

_________________________

¹ scribble – писать быстро и небрежно

² chief executive – президент (компании), директор