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Grammar consolidation
First half of the grammar stage 1

In the first half of grammar stage 1 you practiced the following

tenses.
A. Verb be in present: am. Is, are
B. Simple present
C. Present continuous
D. Verb be in past: was and were
E. Simple past
F. Used to
G. Past Continuous
H. Present perfect
I. Present perfect continuous

Match the following sentences with their corresponding tense

1. Sally works in the marketing division ________

2. The company used to operate in The UK ________
3. Mark spoke to the manager ________
4. The machines were from Canada ________
5. The team was planning a new car design ________
6. The plant has worked since June ________
7. The new procedure is very efficient ________
8. The interviewees are answering a form ________
9. Our new plant has been working perfectly ________
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Follow the sentence components and re-write the sentences in their
corresponding tense.
Sentence components Tense
Verb be: is Verb be in present
are answering Present continuous
works (3rd person “s”) Simple present
Verb be in past: were Verb be in past
spoke Simple past
used to operate Used to
was planning Past continuous
has worked Present perfect
has been working Present perfect
continuous

Change the sentences in their negative and interrogative form

Affirmative sentence Negative sentence Question
The new procedure is very
efficient
The interviewees are
answering a form
Sally works in the
marketing division
The machines were from
Canada
Mark spoke to the
manager
The company used to
operate in The UK
The team was planning a
new car design
The plant has worked since
June
Our new plant has been
working perfectly

Go to your Grammar Stage 1 Practice sheet for extended practice

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Consolidation Practice
Verb be
Organize the following sentences. Verb be: am, is, are.

1. manufacturing / Canada / plant / in / The / is

____________________________________________________
2. week / next / The / are / meetings
____________________________________________________
3. is / CEO / office / in / now / The / our
____________________________________________________
4. conditions / the / They / working / with / aren't / happy
____________________________________________________
5. a / supervisor / is / He
____________________________________________________

Complete the text with the verb be in present: am, is, are

Axdal Electronics is a world leader in control systems. We_________

suppliers to the car industry. Car manufacturers_________ our only
customers. We__________ also suppliers to other industries. A E_________
an international company. Our customers__________in the USA, Japan
and Europe. Our Chief Executive_________ Paul Axdal. ‘We__________a
family company and business_________ very good.

Answer the following questions with short answers

1. Is Axdal Electronics a world leader in software packages?

__________________________________________________________
2. Are they suppliers to the car industry?
__________________________________________________________
3. Is AE a national company?
__________________________________________________________
4. Are their customers in USA, Japan, Mexico and Europe?
_______________________________________________________
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Write the question for each answer

1. __________________________________________?
We are from Seattle in the USA.
2. __________________________________________?
I am but my co-workers are from Mexico
3. __________________________________________?
My name is Jane and this is Arnold Weiss
4. __________________________________________?
No, we are not in banking. We are in finance

Answer the following questions.

1. Which skill is more important for you?

a)Listening b) Reading c) Writing d) Speaking

2. Is English difficult for you?

___________________________________________
3. Is grammar more difficult than vocabulary?
___________________________________________
4. Which is, in your opinion, your strongest skill?

a)Listening b) Reading c) Writing d) Speaking

Ask five questions to a classmate or your teacher with the verb be

1_______________________________________________?
2_______________________________________________?
3_______________________________________________?
4_______________________________________________?
5_______________________________________________?
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Consolidation Practice
Simple Present
Organize the following sentences in the simple present

1. work / for / a / research / I / company.

____________________________________________________
2. food / frozen / makes / The / for / company / supermarkets.
____________________________________________________
3. always / background. / investigate / job / applicant's / a / We
____________________________________________________
4. this / responsibility / normally / process. / has / The / for / total /
manager
____________________________________________________
5. they / Many / people / never / eat / breakfast. / say
____________________________________________________
6. France. / go / to / I / often
____________________________________________________

Complete the sentences

Atsuko Kyoto________________(live! in Tokyo. She________________ (be) a
freelance journalist. She________________(often/travel) to other countries. In
London and Paris she ________________(like) to visit friends.
She________________ (usually/write) for newspapers and magazines and
she________________(sometimes/make) television programmes. She
________________(usually/stay) in four star hotels and________________
(often/eat) in top class restaurants. She________________(never/drink) wine,
beer or any alcohol.
Write negative sentences
1. we manufacture finished products
_____________________________________________
2. we advertise on television
_____________________________________________
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3. the company sponsors sport
__________________________________________
4. l like fish
_________________________________________
5. Nakko S.A processes written orders for goods
__________________________________________
6. Cable PLC despatches products by train
__________________________________________
7. we deal with Latin America
__________________________________________
8. you live in an apartment
__________________________________________
local newspaper attacked Teal Ltd for damaging the
environment. The owner, Peter Teal, wrote a reply. Give the
negative forms of the words in the brackets.
Dear Sir,
I want to tell your readers some facts about Teal
Ltd. The company _____________ (use) chemical dyes in its products
or bleach to make our materials white. The management _____________
(encourage) the use of company cars. We ____________(allow) staff
to park private cars on company premises. We ___________ (burn)
our rubbish and we ____________(throw away) glass or paper.
Yours faithfully,
PJ Teal
Managing Director (Teal Ltd)
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Answer the questions

1. Does your country make cars?

______________________________________________
2. Do the largest companies in your area export products to many
different countries?
______________________________________________
3. How many people do you work or study with?
______________________________________________
4. Do you know any internationally famous products from your
country?
______________________________________________
5. Does your home town have a university?
______________________________________________

Write questions and match the answers below

Example:
D 1. Where/from? Where do you come from?

______2. Where/work?
__________________________?
______3. What/Papeleras Valle/make?
__________________________?
______4. How many people/your company/employ?
__________________________?
______5. Have/just one plant?
__________________________?

a) The company makes paper

b) No, we have two, both near Santiago
c) I work for Papeleras Valle.
d) I come from Santiago, in Chile..
e) About 750.
f) We’re a paper processing company.
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Consolidation Practice
Present Continuous
Look at the email below. Underline five present continuous
forms.

Here is part of a telephone conversation. Complete the spaces with

the verbs in present continuous.

DL: Hello, Peter. Listen, I _____________ (read) your report. There’s a problem
on page 50.
PT: Okay, I ____________ (look) at it right now. What’s the problem?
DL: It says we__________ (invest) $250,000 in research. That's wrong. It ’s
$25,000, not $250,000.
PT: Okay I will change that.
DL: Right. Remember, you __________ (meet) Mr Lally and his colleagues
today.
PT: Yes, I know. They__________ (come) here at 2.30.
DL: Fine. Good luck. See you tomorrow, then.

Look at the graph below. It shows total company sales and sales
for two products, A and B. Write four sentences in the present
continuous with the prompts below.
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1. Total sales (go up) ___________________________________________
2. Product A (increase) _________________________________________
3. Product B (fall) ______________________________________________
4. The company (stop) __________________________________________
production of Product B

Write four sentences about you, your friends, a local business

or your company. Include phrases from the box.

now at the moment currently at present

1. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________

Look at the text below. Underline four present continuous

negative sentences.
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Write sentences with a present continuous negative. Use
contractions.

1. I/not visit/a customer/in Rome

________________________________________________
2. We/not spend/much time/in Milan
________________________________________________
3. The company/not look at/new markets in southern Europe
________________________________________________
4. At the moment many companies/not invest/in new products
________________________________________________
5. Our marketing experts/not change/our present sales strategy
________________________________________________
6. You/not stay/in a hotel
________________________________________________

Make questions to complete the dialogue below. Use the words in brackets.

1. _____________________________? She’s telephoning Signor Fini.

(What/Mary/do?)
2. _____________________________? To invite him to the meeting on Friday.
(Why/call/him?)
3. _____________________________? To talk about the last reports.
(Why/we/have a meeting?)
4. _____________________________? Yes, I’m s till working on it.
(You/work on/the report now?)
6. _____________________________? No, I’m doing it alone.
(Anyone/help/you?)
7. _____________________________? No, they aren't.
(Kim and James/come/to the meeting?)

Underline the mistakes in the following sentences. Then correct them.

1. Is you working very hard? ___________________________________

2. At the moment they working with Poland? __________________________
3. Is Leo and Sam planning the conference together?
__________________________
4. What you think about? __________________________
5. Is raining in Bangkok? __________________________
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Make questions for the pictures 1-4. Use the words in brackets.

1_________________________________?
2_________________________________?
3_________________________________?
4_________________________________?

Write five questions for a classmate or your teacher using the present
continuous form.

1________________________________________________?
2________________________________________________?
3________________________________________________?
4________________________________________________?
5________________________________________________?

Read the dialogue below. A journalist is talking to a representative of

Chemco Ltd. Put the number of sentences 1-7 into the correct box.

J: What plans does Chemco have now? (1)

C: Chemco processes oil and makes paints. (2) We're also planning to make
plastics. (3)
J: Are you already working in that area? (4)
C: We're not selling any plastics at the moment. (5)
J: Does the company plan to merge with Sidon Ltd? (6)
C: No, we don’t want to join another company. (7)

affirmative negative question

Present continuous
Simple present
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Consolidation Practice
Present Continuous vs Simple present.
Complete the dialogue below between a consultant and a
marketing manager.
C: Which export markets do you sell to?

M: We______________ (deal) mainly with Germany,

France and Sweden.

C: And ___________________(negotiate} with Japanese

customers at the moment?

M; No, not at the moment.

C: _____________ (plan) to enter any new markets?

M; Yes, Italy. We _______________ (launch) a range of

products there this year.

C: And Sweden? _________________ [sell} much there ?

M: Yes, we often____________ (get) big orders from

Swedish manufacturers.

Write sentences about your own current activities. Use both the
present simple and the present continuous.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
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Conversation Frameworks
Verb be, Simple present and Present continuous

Follow the instructions in parenthesis to complete the following

conversation.

A: Where are you from Mark?

B: I am from England and you?
A: _________________________________________________(answer and ask a
yes/no question with the verb be)
__________________________________________?
B: _______________________________________ (answer and make a comment
with the verb be) ___________________________________
A: _______________________________________ (reply to the comment with a
negative sentence using the verb be)
B: _______________________________________ (reply to the comment and ask
an information question using the simple present)
A: _______________________________________ change the topic asking a
question using the present continuous)