Question

b use the words in brackets () to complete the dialogues. use the present continuous or the present simple.
0 (the sun/rise/in the east.)
the sun rises in the east.
0 (look! the sun/come/up.)
look! the sun is coming up.
1 ann: is the swimming pool open today?
jane: (no, they/get/things ready for the next competition.)
ann: (how often/they/have/these competitions?)
jane: about three times a year.
2 sam: (why/that machine/not/work/at the moment?)
chris: (i dont know, but a mechanic/mend/it.)
sam: (what/the machine/do/in fact?) (it/make/boxes?)
chris: (yes, it/make/boxes of all sizes.)
3 mary: (look! the fosters/work/in their garden.)
(they/not/usually/work/on sundays.)
lets have a word with them. hello, joe. hello, sara. (you/get/ready/for the winter?)
joe: (yes, we/tidy/up the leaves.)
(we/always/try/to do it before the winter/come/.)
4 tim: (sam, what/you/look/for?)
sam: (i/look/for jeans glasses.)
(she/not/often/wear/them.)
(she only/wear/them to read, so she often/lose/them.)

Explanation:

• For the first blank in the first dialogue: "No, they're getting things ready for the next competition." (Present Continuous as it shows an action happening at the moment of speaking).
• For the second blank in the first dialogue: "How often do they have these competitions?" (Present Simple for a habitual action).
• For the first blank in the second dialogue: "Why isn't that machine working at the moment?" (Present Continuous for an action not happening now).
• For the second blank in the second dialogue: "I don't know, but a mechanic is mending it." (Present Continuous as the action of mending is in progress).
• For the third blank in the second dialogue: "What does the machine do in fact? Does it make boxes?" (Present Simple for general function).
• For the fourth blank in the second dialogue: "Yes, it makes boxes of all sizes." (Present Simple for general function).
• For the first blank in the third dialogue: "Look! The Fosters are working in their garden." (Present Continuous as it's an action seen at the moment).
• For the second blank in the third dialogue: "They don't usually work on Sundays." (Present Simple for habitual action).
• For the third blank in the third dialogue: "Are you getting ready for the winter?" (Present Continuous as it's an action in progress).
• For the fourth blank in the third dialogue: "Yes, we're tidying up the leaves." (Present Continuous as it's an action in progress).
• For the fifth blank in the third dialogue: "We always try to do it before the winter comes." (Present Simple for habitual action and "comes" as the winter is a singular subject).
• For the first blank in the fourth dialogue: "Sam, what are you looking for?" (Present Continuous as it's an action in progress).
• For the second blank in the fourth dialogue: "I'm looking for Jean's glasses." (Present Continuous as it's an action in progress).
• For the third blank in the fourth dialogue: "She doesn't often wear them." (Present Simple for habitual action).
• For the fourth blank in the fourth dialogue: "She only wears them to read, so she often loses them." (Present Simple for habitual action).

Answer:

1. No, they're getting things ready for the next competition. How often do they have these competitions?
2. Why isn't that machine working at the moment? I don't know, but a mechanic is mending it. What does the machine do in fact? Does it make boxes? Yes, it makes boxes of all sizes.
3. Look! The Fosters are working in their garden. They don't usually work on Sundays. Are you getting ready for the winter? Yes, we're tidying up the leaves. We always try to do it before the winter comes.
4. Sam, what are you looking for? I'm looking for Jean's glasses. She doesn't often wear them. She only wears them to read, so she often loses them.