PRESENT SIMPLE/PRESENT CONTINUOUS

1.     A student arrived in Britain to study for a degree. He was asked to write a journal of his experiences, in English, by his English tutor. Which of the following comes from his journal?

(i)           It takes time for me to get used to British English.

(ii)          It´s taking time for me to get used to British English.

2.    This speaker is talking about the Health Service. Choose between present simple and present continuous for each verb.

(a)  People (live) longer; and treatment (get) more expensive.

(b) It (cost) thousands of pounds to give people heart surgery.

(c)  More and more people (buy) private health insurance, because, if you (suffer), you can´t wait even a short time.

3.    Choose the correct verb form to complete the gaps.

(a)  If you don´t have too much to do (think) that Christmas can be quite magical. You know, especially if you (spend) it with children.

(b) If you (earn) a hundred pound and your basic rate of tax is twenty three per cent and they put it up to twenty five you (still) (pay) two pence. The only thing is that the more you (earn) in the long run you´ll pay a bigger slice because you´re earning more. But you afford to pay more.

(c)  Mary:         Sometimes I think, `Oh my goodness´ when I talk to some

                   of these other divisional managers they seem to know every

                single thing that (go) on in their divisions.´

Marianne:  Yeah.

Mary:       Er and when I (feel) particularly vulnerable it makes me (feel)

               uneasy.

Marianne:  Yeah.