This document provides an exercise on using the present simple and present continuous tenses in English. It contains 8 paragraphs with blanks to be filled in with the appropriate verb form. Students are to choose between the present simple or present continuous for each blank based on whether the temporary or ongoing nature of the action described. The document then lists 9 sample sentences and asks students to identify whether each one uses the present simple or present continuous tense and what context each tense is being used to describe.

1. UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLÓGICA DE PEREIRA
LICENCIATURA EN LENGUA INGLESA
Course: Basic English – “Use of English Task”
Topic: Simple Present & Present Continuous
I. Complete each paragraph with the verb in parenthesis using the present simple or present continuous
tense.
a. My computer (1) _________________________ (be) very irritating right now. Every time I (2)
_________________________ (tell) it to save something, it (3) _________________________ (say) it (4)
_________________________ (have) no space in its memory, which (5) _________________________ (be)
ridiculous.
b. Whales and dolphins (6) _________________________ (look) like fish, but they (7)
___________________(are) mammals that (8) _________________________ (live) in the ocean and (9)
_________________________ (move) through water in ways that (10) _________________________
(resemble) the movements of a dog rather than those of a shark.
c. Man: Excuse me. I (11) _________________________ (look) for Mrs. Adamson, but she (12)
________________________ (be) in her usual classroom. (13) _________________________you
_________________________ (know) where she is?
Woman: Oh, they (14) _________________________ (repair) her classroom ceiling this week so she (15)
_________________________ (use) the library as her classroom.
d. I (16) _________________________ (pack) my stuff because I (18) _________________________ (travel) to
Malaysia. My plane (19) _________________________ (take off) at 3:30 p.m. Although my mom is sad that I
am leaving, I (20) _________________________ (feel) excited.
e. I bought the new CH perfume. It (21) _________________________ (smell) great.
f. The cat (22) _________________________ (be) hungry. I (23) _________________________ (know) because
it (24) _________________________ (smell) his food.
g. This is going to be an awesome weekend, I (25) _________________________ (see) Jillian on Saturday!
h. Computers and tablets (26) _________________________ (become) faster and faster every year.
II. Look at the conjugation of the verbs in the previous section and identify the grammar tense and its use
for the following sentences.
Sentence
1.
2.
7.
11.
19.
21.
24.
25.
26.
Present simple or progressive
Present Progressive
What use?
Temporary situation