Talking about the future…
|
|
Present continuous
|
·
Personal plans, decisions that have already been
made.
·
Appointments, arrangements when we mention the time
and place.
|
I’m meeting my sister on Sunday.
Are you doing anything this evening?
I’m working on Saturday.
They are flying
on Wednesday
|
Compare:
We
are opening a new office in New York next year.
(We have already started looking for premises.)
We
are going to open a new office in New York next year.
(This is only an intention; no plans have been made
yet.)
|
Be going to + infinitive
|
·
Intentions decided before the time of speaking, when
no real plans have been made yet.
·
Predictions based on evidence, when we can ‘see
things coming’; when it is clear what is going to happen.
|
I’m going to learn French.
This is going to be the kitchen.
|
It’s going to rain.
She’s going to have a baby.
|
Will
|
a)
Predictions based on personal intuitions (rather
than visible evidence).
Tomorrow will be warm and sunny
I think Manchester will beat Liverpool 2-0.
b)
To make a decision or offer spontaneously (at the
moment of speaking).
The phone is ringing. Ok, I’ll answer it.
I’ve lost my
wallet. I’ll help you find it.
c)
To talk about future states & events with verbs
that don’t take the present continuous.
She’ll be 30 next
October.
We will know
tomorrow
|
-
(On
the phone) Fantastic! We’ll have a meeting to discuss
the details.
-
We are going
to have a meeting to discuss the details but we haven’t fixed a date
yet.
- We’re having a meeting tomorrow to discuss the details. |
-
‘I
am studying English tonight.’
-
‘I
am going to
study English tonight.’
-
‘I’ll study English tonight.’
|
Friday, June 22
Future Tense
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