Foscari - Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica
Foscari - Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica
Foscari - Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica
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a state rather than an action.<br />
a verbs which describe an opinion or mental state: believe, forget, imagine, know, mean,<br />
notice, recognize, remember, think (i.e. have an opinion, not the activity), understand.<br />
I understand you have had some problems with the new machine.<br />
b auxiliaries and modals: be, have, can, must, should<br />
There is a meeting on Friday, can you come?<br />
c senses and perception: feel, hear, see, seem, look, smell, taste.<br />
This room smells of gas.<br />
d emotions and desires: e.g. hate, hope, like, love, prefer, regret, want, wish.<br />
We regret to inform you that ...<br />
e measurement: e.g. contain, cost, hold, measure, weigh.<br />
This package contains the start-up software.<br />
3 In cases where these verbs are used to refer to actions rather than states, they may be used in the<br />
continuous form.<br />
We are having <strong>di</strong>nner with the president on Friday. (have means 'eat' not 'possess')<br />
We were thinking about opening a new office. (think means 'consider' not 'have an opinion')<br />
A Put the verbs in italics into the correct tense.<br />
1 It's raining / rains very hard. Can you give me a lift home?<br />
2 I don't have / am not having much spare time at the moment. I'm studying / study<br />
to pass an exam.<br />
3 The price of shares varies / is varying accor<strong>di</strong>ng to economic con<strong>di</strong>tions.<br />
4 I speak / am speaking French fluently because I grew up in Paris, but I'm forgetting / forget<br />
my German because I never use it.<br />
5 Anne normally deals / is dealing with enquiries from overseas, but I’m dealing / deal with this<br />
one.<br />
B In each of the following sentences, put one of the verbs into the present simple and one<br />
into the present continuous.<br />
1 What he (talk) about? I (not understand)!<br />
2 I’m afraid Mr Passos is (have) lunch at the moment. (Have) an appointment?<br />
3 We (interview) can<strong>di</strong>dates for a new managerial post at the moment, but we urgently (need)<br />
more secretarial staff.<br />
4 The new model (perform) very well in all weather con<strong>di</strong>tions. It's not surprising that<br />
it (become) more and more popular.<br />
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