Simple Present vs. Present Progressive: Final Review

1. I ______ tired today.
(Both are possible because “feel” can describe a general state or a temporary feeling.) feel / am feeling
a) feel / am feeling
b) am knowing [Ich fühle mich heute müde.]

2. She ______ silly today.
(Both are possible because “be” can describe a state or temporary behaviour.) is / is being
a) is / is being
b) are being [Sie ist heute albern.]

3. I ______ what you mean.
(Only the simple form is correct because “understand” is a state verb.) understand
a) understand
b) am understanding [Ich verstehe, was du meinst.]

4. They ______ about moving to Canada.
(“Are thinking” is correct because this is a temporary thought process.) are thinking
a) think
b) are thinking [Sie denken darüber nach, nach Kanada zu ziehen.]

5. He ______ very rude today.
(Both are possible because “be” can describe personality or temporary behaviour.) is / is being
a) is / is being
b) are being [Er ist heute sehr unhöflich.]

6. We ______ dinner right now.
(“Are having” is correct because this is an action happening now.) are having
a) are having
b) have [Wir essen gerade zu Abend.]

7. I ______ this coffee tastes strange.
(Only the simple form is correct because this sentence expresses an opinion.) think
a) think
b) am thinking [Ich denke, dass dieser Kaffee seltsam schmeckt.]

8. The baby ______ now.
(“Is sleeping” is correct because the action is happening now.) is sleeping
a) sleeps
b) is sleeping [Das Baby schläft gerade.]

9. She ______ very kind today.
(Both are possible because “be” can describe personality or temporary behaviour.) is / is being
a) is / is being
b) are being [Sie ist heute sehr freundlich.]

10. We ______ a lot about the future these days.
(“Are thinking” is correct because this is a temporary activity.) are thinking
a) think
b) are thinking [Wir denken dieser Tage viel über die Zukunft nach.]

11. He ______ the answer immediately.
(Only the simple form is correct because “know” is a state verb.) knows
a) knows
b) is knowing [Er kennt die Antwort sofort.]

12. You ______ very patient today.
(Both are possible because “be” can describe character or temporary behaviour.) are / are being
a) are / are being
b) is being [Du bist heute sehr geduldig.]

13. They ______ the new teacher.
(Only the simple form is correct because “like” is a state verb.) like
a) are liking
b) like [Sie mögen den neuen Lehrer.]

14. The children ______ in the garden now.
(“Are playing” is correct because the action is happening now.) are playing
a) are playing
b) play [Die Kinder spielen gerade im Garten.]

15. My boss ______ unusually friendly this week.
(Both are possible because “be” can describe normal character or temporary behaviour.) is / is being
a) are being
b) is / is being [Mein Chef ist diese Woche ungewöhnlich freundlich.]

16. She ______ what you are saying.
(Only the simple form is correct because “understand” is a state verb.) understands
a) understands
b) is understanding [Sie versteht, was du sagst.]

17. We ______ a movie tonight.
(“Are watching” is correct because this is a planned activity.) are watching
a) watch
b) are watching [Wir schauen heute Abend einen Film.]

18. He ______ very silly today.
(Both are possible because “be” can describe a state or temporary behaviour.) is / is being
a) is / is being
b) are being [Er ist heute sehr albern.]

19. I ______ your point clearly.
(Only the simple form is correct because “see” here means “understand.”) see
a) see
b) am seeing [Ich verstehe deinen Standpunkt klar.]

20. The company ______ very quickly this year.
(“Is growing” is correct because this describes change.) is growing
a) grows
b) is growing [Das Unternehmen wächst dieses Jahr sehr schnell.]

21. You ______ very careful today.
(Both are possible because “be” can describe normal character or temporary behaviour.) are / are being
a) are / are being
b) is being [Du bist heute sehr vorsichtig.]

22. We ______ this restaurant very much.
(Only the simple form is correct because “prefer” is a state verb.) prefer
a) prefer
b) are preferring [Wir bevorzugen dieses Restaurant sehr.]

23. She ______ unusually quiet today.
(Both are possible because “be” can describe personality or temporary behaviour.) is / is being
a) are being
b) is / is being [Sie ist heute ungewöhnlich ruhig.]

24. They ______ to the manager right now.
(“Are talking” is correct because the action is happening now.) are talking
a) are talking
b) talk [Sie sprechen gerade mit dem Manager.]

25. He ______ very difficult today.
(Both are possible because “be” can describe character or temporary behaviour.) is / is being
a) is / is being
b) are being [Er ist heute sehr schwierig.]