Week 48 H4E

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Future

Learning objective:

By the end of this lesson you will know the differences between going to and willl as well as using Present simple and present continuous in future context.

Warm Up:

Read the sentences and answer the questions.

a. It’s going to rain tomorrow.

b. I’m going to paint the house next week.

c. Here. I ’ll help you carry that box. It looks heavy.

d. It will be cloudy this weekend.

1. Which sentence expresses a prior plan? __

2. Which sentences are predictions? __ and __

3. Which sentence expresses willingness? __

Will vs. Be Going To

Predictions

(a) According to the weather report, it will be cloudy tomorrow.

(b) According to the weather report, it is going to be cloudy tomorrow

Will and be going to mean the same when they make predictions about the future (prediction = a statement about something the speaker thinks will be true or will occur in the future).

Examples (a) and (b) have the same meaning

Will vs. Be Going To

Prior Plan

(c) — Why did you buy this paint?

—I'm going to paint my bedroom tomorrow.

Be going to (but not will) is used to express a prior plan (i.e., a plan made before the moment of speaking).*

In (c): The speaker already has a plan to paint his/her bedroom.

Situation 1:

A: Are you busy this evening? B: Yes. I’m going to meet Jack at the library at seven. We’re going to study together.

In Situation 1, only be going to is possible. The speaker has a prior plan, so he uses be going to.

Situation 2:

A: Are you busy this evening? B: Well, I really haven’t made any plans. I’ll eat (OR I’m going to eat) dinner, of course. And then I’ll probably watch (or I ’m probably going to watch) TV for a little while.

In Situation 2, either will or be going to is possible. Speaker B has not planned his evening. He is “predicting” his evening (rather than stating any prior plans), so he may use either will or be going to.

Will vs. Be Going To

Willingness

(d) — The phone’s ringing. — I'll get it.

(e) — How old is Aunt Agnes? — I don’t know. She won’t tell me.

(f) The car won't start. Maybe the battery is dead.

Will (but not be going to) is used to express willingness. In this case, will expresses a decision the speaker makes at the moment of speaking.

In (d): The speaker decides to answer the phone at the immediate present moment; she/he does not have a prior plan.

Will not / won’t can express refusal, as in (e) with a person or in (f) with an inanimate object.

Dinner’s almost ready. I ’ll set the table.

A

Prediction

B

Plan

C

Willingness

Ivan has some vacation time. He is going to take next week off.

A

Prediction

B

Plan

C

Willingness

Heidi will love her birthday present. It’s just what she wants.

A

Prediction

B

Plan

C

Willingness

I don’t like my job. I ’m going to quit when I get back from vacation.

A

Prediction

B

Plan

C

Willingness

That’s okay. Don’t worry about the spilled coffee. I'll clean it up.

A

Prediction

B

Prior Plan

C

Willingness

Someday, there are going to be computers in every classroom in the world.

A

Prediction

B

Plan

C

Willingness

The light bulb is burned out. I ’11 get a new one from the supply room.

A

Prediction

B

Prior Plan

C

Willingness

I ’m going to the bookstore. Do you want to go with me?

A

Prediction

B

Plan

C

Willingness

Warm Up

Decide if each sentence has a present or future meaning. What do you notice about the verb tense in each sentence?

1. I ’m meeting a friend for dinner tonight.

present meaning future meaning

2. We’re taking a flight at midnight.

present meaning future meaning

3. Class starts in ten minutes.

present meaning future meaning

Using the Present Continuous and the Present Simple to Express Future Time

(a) My wife has an appointment with a doctor. She is seeing Dr. North next Tuesday.

(b) Sam has already made his plans. He is leaving at noon tomorrow.

(c) — What are you going to do this afternoon?

— After lunch, I am meeting a friend of mine. We are going shopping. Would you like to come along?

The present continuous may be used to express future time when the idea of the sentence concerns a planned event or definite intention.

compare: A verb such as rain is not used in the present continuous to indicate future time because rain is not a planned event.

A future meaning for the present continuous tense is indicated either by future time words in the sentence or by the context.

Using the Present Continuous and the Present Simple to Express Future Time

(d) The museum opens at 10:00 tomorrow morning.

(e) Classes begin next week.

(f) John's plane arrives at 6:05 p.m. next Monday

The simple present can also be used to express future time in a sentence concerning events that are on a definite schedule or timetable. These sentences usually contain future time words. Only a few verbs are used in this way: e.g., open, close, begin, end, start, finish, arrive, leave, come, return.

1 . I am taking four courses next semester.

A

in the future

B

now

C

habitually

2 . I am taking four courses this semester.

A

in the future

B

now

C

habitually

3. Students usually take four courses every semester.

A

in the future

B

now

C

habitually

4. I’ll mail this letter at the corner when I take Susan home.

A

in the future

B

now

C

habitually

5. My brother’s birthday is next week. I am giving him a sweater.

A

in the future

B

now

C

habitually

6. Shhh. The broadcaster is giving the latest news about the crisis overseas. I want to hear what she’s saying.

A

in the future

B

now

C

habitually

7. When I graduate, I’m going to return home.

A

in the future

B

now

C

habitually

8 . When students graduate, they receive diplomas.

A

in the future

B

now

C

habitually

9. I’m tired. I am going to bed early tonight.

A

in the future

B

now

C

habitually

10. When I am in New York, I’m going to visit the Museum of Modern Art.

A

in the future

B

now

C

habitually

11. When I am home alone in the evening, I like to read or watch television.

A

in the future

B

now

C

habitually