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Why do your posts disappear after they are answered? Sun Nov 12, 2006 2:32 am  Why do your posts disappear after they are answered?
 

.
I might as well weigh in here, as it is an interesting question. It's not easy, and I really cannot take sides, since I am of two minds myself (or maybe, each mind could take a side).

What I think is that simple present sentences #9 and #10 do sound quite odd and out-of-place when written out in sequence as they are, but that within a weather reporter's monologue, they would be natural options to the will- future. A lot depends on the context-- 'of course' suggests that the weather has been consistent and expected, and yay! for simple present; on the other hand, the first sentence ('things will improve') indicates a change in the weather, and yay! for will- (or going to-) future.

I haven't seen the original test, but if the student is tested on those verb forms, woe is s/he.
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Why do your posts disappear after they are answered? Sun Nov 12, 2006 8:55 am  Why do your posts disappear after they are answered?
 

Hi,

For the record our testee doesn't have to feel too woebegone because they have a choice of words rather than a choice of tenses.

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Why do your posts disappear after they are answered? Sun Nov 12, 2006 9:58 am  Why do your posts disappear after they are answered?
 

Hi,

One last effort:

Tomorrow it will rain, of that I can be sure, but never mind the sun comes out at the end of the day and so all is not lost, the birds sing and window cleaners get on with their work and everyone knows that all these things follow although the sentence starts with a future verb form. Believe me.

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Why do your posts disappear after they are answered? Sun Nov 12, 2006 10:43 am  Why do your posts disappear after they are answered?
 

Hi, Teachers Smile

If I’m allowed to say my little learner’s word, I’d draw your attention to the fact that this is the test for Elementary level.
Can you imagine yourself at the level? I still easily can Smile

I’m aware that the American-style forecast is normally done with the Future tense, whereas some British forecasts also allow using the Present one(s)...
but, even more simply, to me, soon appeals to will, except for the cases of those special narratives that are done – entirely - in the Present tense.
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Why do your posts disappear after they are answered? Sun Nov 12, 2006 10:52 am  Why do your posts disappear after they are answered?
 

Hi Alan

Yes, I know and use the simple present like that, too. It's just that the test sentence doesn't work for me at all in the context that's given.

But, ultimately the reason this whole conversation got started was the fact that a test taker asked a question specifically about the word "disappears" and the question was deleted. I hope he or she has now found all the explanations for using "will disappear" vs. "disappears". Very Happy

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Why do your posts disappear after they are answered? Sun Nov 12, 2006 11:06 am  Why do your posts disappear after they are answered?
 

Tamara wrote:
I’m aware that the American-style forecast is normally done with the Future tense, whereas some British forecasts also allow using the Present one(s)...
but, even more simply, to me, soon appeals to will, except for the cases of those special narratives that are done – entirely - in the Present tense.

Hi Tamara

That's not true. You will also hear all kinds of different tenses in an American weather forecast when the meteorologist refers to the upcoming weather -- including the simple present, the present continous, the 'be going to' future, the 'will' future, even the future continuous.

I'm just extremely uncomfortable with what I see as a lack of contextual justification for using the simple present tense in the test question. Confused And, I have to admit, the fact that the sentence appears in an elementary level test also irritates me. Crying or Very sad

Fortunately, the sentence in question tests vocabulary rather than tense. Very Happy

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Outside window cleaners Sun Nov 12, 2006 17:48 pm  Outside window cleaners
 

Alan wrote:
(...) window cleaners get on with their work (...) Believe me.

I believe you (believe me!), but I wish someone had told me straight away about outside window cleaners in England when
I first went to live there. Imagine my surprise (or was it fright? – I can’t remember) one day when a shadow suddenly appeared at the bathroom window on the first floor (by British standards)! Thank goodness it was a frosted glass window!
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