FUTURE TIME EXPRESSING FUTURE TIME: BE GOING TO AND WILL Be going to and will are used to express future time: (a)I am going to leave at nine tomorrow morning. (b)I will leave at nine tomorrow morning (c)Marie is going to be at the meeting today.* (d)Marie will be at the meeting today. Will and be going to often give the same meaning, but sometimes they express different meaning. (e) I shall leave at nine tomorrow morning. (f) We shall leave at nine tomorrow morning. The use of shall (with I or we) to express future time is possible but infrequent. *Today, tonight, and this + morning, afternoon, evening, week, etc., can express present, past or future time

PRESENT: Sam is in his office this morning PAST : Ann was in her office this morning at eight, but now shes at a meeting FUTURE : Bob is going to be in his office this morning after his dentist appointment. FORMS WITH BE GOING TO Be going to is followed by the simple form of the verb: (a)We are going to be late (b)Shes going to come tomorrow Incorrect: Shes going to comes tomorrow QUESTION: be + subject + going to NEGATIVE: be + not + going to Be going to is more common in speaking and in informal writing than in formal writing. In informal speaking, it is sometimes pronounced as gonna but gonna is not usually a written form © Hurry up! Were gonna be late!

FORMS WITH WILL STATEMENT: I-You-She-He-It-We-They will come tomorrow. NEGATIVE: I-You-She-He-It-We-They will not (wont) come tomorrow. QUESTION: Will I-you-she-he-it-we-they come tomorrow? SHORT ANSWER: Yes, I-you-she-he-it-we-they will* No, I-you-she-he-it-we-they wont CONTRACTIONS: Illshellwellyoullhelltheyllitll Will is usually contracted with pronouns in both speech and informal writing. Will is often contracted with nouns in speech, but usually not in writing. Bob + will = Bobll the teacher + will = the teacherll

SURENESS ABOUT THE FUTURE *100% sure (a)I will be in class tomorrow. Or I am going to be in class tomorrow. In (a): The speaker use will or be going to because he feels sure about his future activity. He is starting a fact about the future. *90% sure (b) Po will probably be in class tomorrow. Or Po is probably going to be in class tomorrow. © Ann probably wont be in class tomorrow. Or Ann probably isnt going to be in class tomorrow. In (b): The speaker use probably to say that he expects Po to be in class tomorrow, but he is not 100% sure. Hes almost sure, but not completely sure. Word order with probably: (1)in a statement (b): helping verb + probably (2)With a negative verb ©: probably + helping verb

SURENESS ABOUT THE FUTURE … *50% sure (d) Ali may come to class tomorrow, or Ali may not come to class tomorrow. I dont know what hes going to do. May expresses a future possibility: maybe something will happen, and maybe it wont happen. In (d): The speaker is saying that maybe Ali will come to class, or maybe he wont come to class. The speaker is guessing. (e) Maybe Ali will come to class, and maybe he wont. or Maybe Ali is going to come to class, and maybe he isnt. Maybe + will/be going to gives the same meaning as may. (d) and (e) have the same meaning. Maybe comes at the beginning a sentence.

BE GOING TO vs. WILL (a)She is going to succeed because she works hard. (b)She will succeed because he works hard Be going to and will mean the same when they are used to make prediction about the future. (a) and (b) have the same meaning. © I bought some wood because I am going to build a bookcase for my apartement. Be going to (but not will) is used to express a prior plan (i.e., a plan made before the moment of speaking). In ©: The speaker plans to build a bookcase. (d) This chair is too heavy for you to carry alone. Ill help you. Will (but not be going to) is used to express a decision the speaker makes at the moment speaking. In (d): The speaker decides to help at the immediate present moment; he did not have a prior plan or intention to help.

USING THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TO EXPRESS FUTURE TIME (a)Tom is going to come to the party tomorrow. (b)Tom is coming to the party tomorrow. (c)Were going to go to a movie tonight. (d)Were going to a movie tonight. (e)Im going to stay home this evening (f)Im staying home this evening (g)Ann is going to fly to Chicago next week (h)Ann is flying to Chicago next week.

Continue … The present progressive can be used to express future time. Each pair of example sentence has the same meaning. The present progressive describes definite plans for the future, plans that were made before the moment of speaking. A future meaning for the present progressive is indicated either by future time words (e.g., tomorrow) or by the situation.* (i)Youre going to laugh when you hear this joke. (j)Incorrect:Youre laughing when you hear this joke. The present progressive in NOT used for predicting about the future. In (i): The speaker is predicting a future event. In (j): The present progressive is not possible; laughing is a prediction, not a planned future event. *Compare: Present situation: Look! Marys coming. Do you see her? Future situation: Are you planning to come to the party? Marys coming. So is Alex.

USING THE SIMPLE PRESENT TO EXPRESS FUTURE TIME (a)My plane arrives at 7:35 tomorrow evening. (b)Toms new job starts next week. (c)The semester ends in two more weeks. (d)There is a meeting at ten tomorrow evening. The simple present can express future time when events are on a definite schedule or timetable. Only a few verbs are used in the simple present to express future time. The most common are arrive, leave, start, begin, end, finish, open, close, be. (e) Incorrect: I wear my new suit to the wedding next week. Correct: I am wearing/ am going to wear my new suit to the wedding next week. Most verbs cannot be used in the simple present to express future time. For example, in (e): The verb wear does not express an event on a schedule or timetable. It cannot be used in the simple present to express future time.

Whats advisable/ necessary/ preferable Advice: had better, ought to, might want to Necessity: be going to have to, dont/doesnt have to, have got to Preference: would rather Form: The verbs following the expressions do not change and remain the same with all subjects e.g. Incorrect: You might want to taking someone with you. Correct: You might want to take someone with you. [S+ expressions above + V (base) ]

Whats Advisable 1. Had better (not) Had better always takes the past form, even though it is used to talk about the present or future. Had is frequently contracted to (d) e.g. You had (Youd) better do something quickly. Id better not add anything to my schedule. Had better is used to give strong advice, or to say what the speaker or others should do. It is generally used to talk about a specific situation, rather than about things in general. It also suggests that something should be done to avoid a bad consequence. e.g. Youd better study for your exam tomorrow. Its very important.

2. Ought (not) to: Not as strong as had better. Can be used for moral obligations: e.g. I ought to do some volunteer work. Can be used to mean Its a good idea to.. e.g. You ought to let them do the talking. Can be used to mean This is probable or expected. e.g. That ought to work. 3. Want to/ might want to: The verb (want) is often used in giving advice (e.g., You want to be careful) It is commonly used with (might) to make a suggestion. e.g. You might want to take a colleague with you.

Whats Necessary 1. Be + Going to + have to Going to can soften the strong sense of obligation that (have to) has, especially when the subject is (you). e.g. Youre going to have to do something about this problem. 2. Have got to = have to: Used to express necessity and strong obligation. With (he, she, it) we use (has) and is usually contracted to (s) (Have) is used with other pronouns and is usually contracted to (ve). e.g. Shes got to get a job. Theyve got to clean their rooms. 3. Dont/ doesnt have to: Used to express lack of necessity or obligation. e.g. You dont have to spend time on this. She doesnt have to see them.

Whats preferable 1. Would rather: It means prefer to. (Would) is usually contracted to (d). e.g. Id rather stay in my current job. Id rather not study abroad. The End T. Samer Al-Bzour