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 #2 (permalink) Sat Sep 13, 2008 16:58 pm Will for the future |
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Hi Belles,
I've done some notes on the future for the site, which may be of interest: Will Future
and my latest newsletter concerns the future: Looking Ahead
Let me know if they offer any help.
Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Start or begin? |
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Alan
Co-founder
Joined: 27 Sep 2003
Posts: 9213
Location: UK
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| #3 (permalink) Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:15 am Will for the future |
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Hello Alan,
Thank you, Alan, what a great article. I enjoyed reading "Looking Ahead". It speaks directly to my fear. I never know what to say about the future in English. After I read your article, I realized that there is a gap in the future tense, and so we tend to create patches. Thanks again, you've given me the confidence I need to actually talk about the future in some coherent way! Belles |
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Belles1654
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 47
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Torsten
Learning Coach
Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Posts: 10071
Location: EU
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| #5 (permalink) Sun Sep 14, 2008 14:55 pm Will for the future |
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Torsten, I aced it. The lesson was well learned. Thank you and I thank the site for having such great and useful information and such willing teachers and participants.  -Belles |
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Belles1654
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 47
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| #6 (permalink) Mon Sep 15, 2008 0:56 am Will for the future |
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Hi belles!
I guess your problem is the discrimination between the use of 'be going to' and that of 'will' to express a plan or an intention. As far as I know, 'be going to' is used to express a premeditated plan in the future. In your example "I'm going to go to Denver and return on the 18th." This is what you have planned to do. The degree of certainty is to some extent higher than when you say: "I will go to Denver and return on the 18th." which is a future probability.
I will redecorate my room. (future intention, probability in the future, willingness...)
I am going to redecorate my room. (Plan in the future, this will certainly happen since I have already bought some paint.)
Situation: You see me going out of a supermarket with a bucket of paint and you say:
I see you've bought some paint! What are you going to do?
My answer would be :"Well, I'm going to redecorate my room."
I hope this will help you.
ALI from Algeria. |
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Al07
New Member
Joined: 12 Sep 2008
Posts: 2
Location: Algeria
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| #7 (permalink) Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:36 am Will for the future |
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| Torsten wrote: |
Hello Belles,
It's great to hear you like our materials. Now you might want to try this will-future test and tell us your results.
Many thanks,
Torsten |
One question, Torsten: is "What are you going to be doing this time tomorrow?" possible? |
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Molly
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 4017
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| #8 (permalink) Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:38 am Will for the future |
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| Quote: |
| As far as I know, 'be going to' is used to express a premeditated plan in the future. |
How about here, al07?
"Look, it's going to rain."
And what do you see as the difference in meaning between the expressions "future intention" and "plan in the future"?
I see "be going to" as you say, above, and particularly because "be going to" seems to refer to cumulative events where "will" does not. |
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Molly
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 4017
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| #9 (permalink) Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:08 am Will for the future |
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| Quote: |
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, |
One thing that seems to be missing from Alan's article is any mention of the inevitability connected with the use of "will". The quote above certainly refers to inevitable events. I think that understanding the "inevitability" of events plays a great part in understanding the use of "will".
What do you think, Alan, Torsten, All? |
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Molly
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 4017
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| subject verb agreement-'is' or 'are' | "In the bus" or "on the bus" |
