Expressing the Future

Expressing the Future

Rule 1:  The most common way to express the future is with be going to + base form.

·     I’m going to go to the supermarket. Do you need anything?

Rule 2:  You can also express future time using present continuous form, but you must use a future time expression in the sentence (or in the previous sentence). If you don’t use a time expression, the time will be present tense.

·     She’s doing the laundry this afternoon. (present continuous form but future time)

·     She’s doing the laundry. (present form and present time: right now)

Rule 3:  happening very soon  When something is going to happen very soon, use

     be going to + base form.

·     Someone stop her! She’s going to get hit by a car! (A girl is chasing a ball into the street.)

·     Look at those black clouds! It’s going to rain any minute. Let’s go inside.

Rule 4:  weather  To predict (预 报, pronosticar, предска́зывать) the weather, we usually use

     be going to + base form. (Yes, we sometimes use will + base form, but in this class, use  be going to + base form.)

·     It’s going to rain tomorrow.

     You cannot use present continuous to predict the weather.

·     Wrong:  It’s raining tomorrow.

Rule 5:  quick decisions  Use will when you have just made a quick decision (决定, 抉择, реше́ние) or you’ve just thought of an idea, for example, after I think, I have an idea, or I know.

·     a.    What are you going to order? (in a restaurant)

         b.   Wait a second. I haven’t looked at the menu yet. (pause) I think I’ll order the hamburger combo.

·     Oh, no! The copy machine is jammed*, and the boss wants this right away.

(pause) I know, I’ll go downstairs and ask if I can use their machine.

      *卡 住 的 , hay atasco, заклинило, has stopped working because a piece of paper is stuck in it  

·     How am I going to contact all these people before tomorrow? (pause) I have an idea! I’ll call Mark and Bob and see if they can help me.

Rule 6:  schedules  When talking about schedules for planes, buses, and trains, departure and arrival times, etc., we often use simple present because we are referring to habitual (习惯的,惯常的, habitual, acostumbrado, привычный) events.

·     When does the next bus for Stockton leave? (It always leaves at the same time.)

·     Flight 742 arrives in San Francisco at 10:30 a.m. (every day)

Rule 7:  plans  To talk about plans and intentions (意图,打算,计划, план , намерение) and things we’ve already scheduled or planned, we normally use be going to + base form, not will.

·     Next week they’re going to visit Yosemite. (They made their plans to visit there two weeks ago.)

·     a.    What’s all that paint for? (=Why do you have all that paint?)

    b.   Didn’t I tell you? I’m going to repaint the bedroom this weekend. 

Rule 8:  if  When one clause begins with if, the other clause often uses will. (not always!)

·     If you tell anyone, I’ll never speak to you again.

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