q('~You\'d better go to bed early tonight. The plane * at 6 o\'clock tomorrow morning so we\'ll have to be up by 4.30!~leaves~Yes. This is the best answer. The 1 is used for scheduled events in the future.~is leaving~This is just about ok, but there\'s a better tense for a future scheduled event.~leave~No, \"plane\" and \"leave\" can never 7, but your answer is in the 1 - which is the right tense.~will leave~Sorry, \"will\" is used for certain future events, but it is not the best answer here. You need the 1 for a future scheduled event.~6~'); q('~

Why is the present simple tense used for both verbs in the sentence below? Because the speaker:

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

~is expressing a truth about the world.~Yes. This is a very good example of a world truth!~is describing what is happening now.~No, this is impossible! How could the sun be both rising and setting at the same time? In any case, to describe something happening now you need the 2 and not the 1 as in the question sentence!~is talking about a repeated action.~Actually, this is a possible answer, but go back and find another explanation of why the 1 is used here.~is telling a joke and jokes are often in the 1 tense.~You\'re the one telling jokes with your answer! But you\'re right about the frequent use of the 1 in jokes and anecdotes.~3~'); q('~My father * too much!~smokes~Yes. The 1 is the usual tense for a simple statement of fact (or, in this case, opinion!)~is smoking~This is just possible if you want to stress that your father is smoking too much at this time. A better tense choice would be the 1 for a simple statement of fact.~smoke~No, no, no! \"My father\" and \"smoke\" can never 7, but in fact you are very close to the correct answer!~smoking~Oh dear. This is not a very good answer! Firstly you cannot use \"smoking\" without an 0 verb, and secondly it is the wrong tense. Try again!~2~'); q('~You should see the new Brad Pitt film. He plays the part of a cowboy who * up a lawless town.~cleans~Good. Your answer is in the 1, which is the usual tense to retell a story or a film.~is cleaning~Sorry, the 2 is not the usual tense for retelling a film or story.~cleaned~It is possible to retell films and stories in the past tense, but your answer does not fit in with the tense of the other verbs in the sentence.~clean~Ok, you have remembered that the 1 is used to retell films or stories. However your answer is impossible because \"clean\" does not agree with \"cowboy\" or Brad Pitt.~5~'); q('~Woo-Jin and I * basketball after school today. Do you want to play too?~are playing~Yes. The 2 is the usual tense for plans or arrangements for the future.~is playing~You have chosen the correct tense, the 2, but \"Woo-Jin and I\" make a plural subject which does not 7 with the singular 0 verb you have used!~play~No, the 1 of your answer would be right if you wanted to say that you play basketball every day or regularly after school. But in this sentence the speaker is talking about one specific action that is already planned.~played~This would be possible if the first sentence stood alone. However, it does not make sense when followed by the second sentence. What tense do you need for a future arrangement that has already been made?~8~'); q('~Oil * on water.~floats~Yes. The 1 is correct here for a world truth.~is floating~Sorry this sentence is an example of a \"world truth\" and so the 1 is needed, not the 2 that you have used. (Your answer is just possible if you point to the sea and say to your friend: \"Look! Oil is floating on water!\"~float~Your tense, the 1, is correct, but \"oil\" and \"float\" do not agree.~floating~No, your answer does not make a correct sentence? Which tense do you need for a \"world truth\"?~3~'); q('~

Why is the present simple tense used in the sentence below? Because the speaker:

\"Mmmh! This ice cream tastes very good?\"

~is using a verb of the senses.~Yes! It is not correct to use the 2 with verbs of the senses or mental processes, even if we are talking about something happening now.~is talking about a future scheduled event.~This is a reason to use the present simple, but it certainly does not apply here! Choose a more sensible answer.~is tasting ice cream now.~This is true but usually the 2 is used for actions happening now. Do you remember the special verbs that are usually only used with the 1?~is telling a joke.~This may be true and it is a reason to use the 1, but there is a better explanation for its use here!~4~'); q('~Why * ? You should be listening to me!~are you talking~Yes. The 2 is correct here to refer to an action happening now.~do you talk~You suggested the 1, but in fact the situation described here is a temporary one that is happening at this period in time and so the 2 is needed.~you talk~Your answer is impossible, since the 0 verb is missing. You need the 2 for an action that is happening at this period in time.~you are talking~Your answer is in the right tense (2) but the words are in the wrong order and so your suggested sentence is impossible.~7~'); q('~What * next weekend, Yoshi?~are you doing~Correct! The speaker is asking Yoshi if he has already made any arrangements for the next weekend. In this case, the 2 is the correct tense.~do you do~No, you could say: \"What do you do every weekend?\", but your suggestion does not fit with the words \"next weekend\".~you doing~Almost right, but your answer needs an 0 verb.~you do~Sorry, impossible. This is not how to ask questions in English, and anyway you have chosen the wrong tense.~8~'); q('~Jane: Do you play the piano?
Mary: No, I * any musical instrument!~don\'t play~Yes. The 1 is necessary here for a simple statement of fact.~am not playing~Not right. Mary is stating a simple fact; she is not talking about what is happening now. For this reason she uses the 1 not the 2 that you have chosen for your answer.~doesn\'t play~Impossible. \"I\" and \"doesn\'t can never 7, but in fact you have chosen the correct tense form (the 1)!~isn\'t playing~Impossible. \"I\" and \"isn\'t\" can never 7. You need the 1 for a simple statement of fact.~2~'); q('~Money * on trees!~doesn\'t grow~Right. This is a world truth and so the 1 tense is used.~isn\'t growing~No. Although this sentence (in the 2) is grammatically possible, e.g. in the sentence: \"Look! Money isn\'t growing on trees in my garden!\", it is highly unlikely. Try again using a the tense you need for a world truth!~don\'t grow~Your answer is impossible; \"money\" and \"don\'t\" don\'t 7. You have got the right tense (1), however; try again with the right form.~didn\'t grow~This sentence (in the past simple) is grammatically correct and possible in the sentence: \"Money didn\'t grow on trees but now it does!\". But this is not a very probable statement. Try again using the 1 for a truth about the world.~3~'); q('~You * into things and breaking them. How can anyone be so clumsy?~are always bumping~Yes. The 2 is used for expressing annoyance at something that happens again and again.~always bump~No. Although the 1 is used for events that happen regularly, it is not right here. It is clear that the speaker is expressing annoyance and so would use the 2.~always bumping~This is almost right. The tense (2) as a way of expressing annoyance is correct but you have forgotten the 0 verb.~always bumps~No, this is impossible. \"You\" and \"bumps\" can never 7. Also your tense choice is wrong here. Do you remember which tense you need to express annoyance?~9~'); q('~\"What * about the plan to shorten the school holidays?\"~do you think~Yes. When think has the meaning of having an opinion the 1 must be used. The sentence means: What is your opinion of the plan ..?~are you thinking~Sorry. In this sentence \"think\" has the meaning of \"having an opinion\" so the 1 must be used.~you think~No. This is impossible. When asking questions in English you need an 0 verb.~will you think~This is not wrong grammar, but the sentence sounds very strange. Choose a better answer with the correct tense of \"think\" when it means \"have an opinion\".~4~'); q('~Jane: \"What * about?\"
Mary: \"My summer holidays! I wish I was still lying on the beach.\"~are you thinking~Yes. When think has the meaning of concentrating your attention on something, the 2 is used. Mary is asking what Jane is concentrating her thoughts on at this moment.~do you think~Sorry. When the verb \"think\" is used in the 1, it has the meaning \"what is your opinion?\". For example, \"What is your opinion about German food?\" In fact, Mary is asking Jane what she is focussing her attention on at this moment.~you thinking~Wrong. You have selected the right tense but your answer is incorrect grammar because the 0 verb \"are\" is missing.~does he think~Well, this is not incorrect grammar but it certainly doesn\'t fit in the conversation above. Try and select a more sensible answer!~7~'); q('~What does the shop assistant say to the customer in a shop if he wants to know if someone is already helping her?~Are you being served?~Yes. This is the correct question. The tense used the 2 because the shop assistant wants to know if another assistant is already helping you at this moment.~Are you served?~No. You have correctly noticed that the passive is necessary but have chosen the 1 which is the wrong tense here. The shop assistant wants to know if another assistant is helping you at this moment.~Are you serving?~This is the correct tense (2) but has the following meaning: Are you serving someone? This would be a strange question to a customer! In fact your answer needs to be in the passive; try again!~Do you serve?~This is grammatically correct but is very unlikely and makes no sense in this situation. You need an answer that is in the 2 passive!~7~'); q('~

Why is the present continuous tense used in the first sentence below, even though the action (criticizing) is repeated? Because the speaker:

You\'re always criticizing me. Why don\'t you just leave me alone?

~is expressing annoyance at being criticized all the time.~Yes. Normally the 1 is used for repeated actions, but when you want to show how a repeated action irritates you, select the 2 tense.~is expressing a truth about the world.~Criticizing someone is not an example of a \"world truth\"; and if it were, you would need the 1 not the 2 as in this example!~is talking about what is happening now.~This is an appropriate use of the 2 but there is a more correct reason why it is being used in this case! (In fact the speaker could be talking in the evening, hours after the moment at which she was being criticized!)~is talking about a future arrangement.~This is an appropriate use of the 2 tense, but it doesn\'t apply here!~9~'); q('~What\'s the best way to invite a friend to your party?~Would you like to come to my party?~Yes. This is a good way to invite someone.~Are you coming to my party?~You could say this if you have already invited her, but she wasn\'t sure if she could come. Now you want to check.~Do you come to my party?~This is correct grammar but doesn\'t make sense here. The 1 tense is used for repeated actions.~Do you like to come to my party?~No wrong. This is asking if your friend usually enjoys your parties and likes coming to them.~99~'); q('~Which part (in italics) of the following passage contains a mistake?

Maiko is wearing a skirt today but she usually wears jeans. If she is going to a party, she puts on a dress.

~3is wearing~No, this isn\'t a mistake. For an action happening now or today, the 2 is the right tense.~she usually wears~No, this isn\'t a mistake. For a repeated action, the 1 is the right tense.~she puts on~No the 1 is correct here for an action that happens regularly or always.~no mistake~Yes. You are right. There are no problems in this sentence.~1~'); q('~My father * me to school this week because we had an accident and our car is being repaired.~isn\'t driving~Yes. The 2 is needed here to refer to a temporary situation that is happening at this period of time.~doesn\'t drive~You suggested the 1, but in fact the situation described here is a temporary one that is happening at this period in time and so the 2 is needed.~don\'t drive~Your answer is impossible. \"My father\" and \"don\'t drive\" can never 7. You need an answer in the 2 tense since the situation described in the question is a temporary one happening at this period in time.~hadn\'t driven~Your answer is impossible. \"Hadn\'t driven\" and \"this week\" do not fit together. Your suggestion is in the past perfect, whereas what you need is the 2 for a temporary situation that is happening at this period in time.~7~'); q('~A new hotel * in the centre of town.~is being built~This is correct. The tense is the 2, in the passive form, for an action happening now.~is built~No, this is not right. If the hotel is already in use, you can say \"A new hotel has been built ..\". If work is still continuing on it, you need the 2 passive.~is building~You have chosen the correct tense, the 2, for an action in progress; but your answer sounds like the hotel is building something, which does not make sense. You need an answer in the passive!~built~Sorry, your answer is part of the correct answer. However, it is missing an 0 verb, and does not make sense on its own.~7~');