Questions tagged [future-constructions]
The English language doesn't have an explicit future tense, which means future constructions are effected through other means, including modal verbs, going-to structure, and futurive non-past. Any question regarding the future aspect of English should use this tag.
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In-depth explanation of the difference between "will" and "going to"?
Background
My wife and I take English classes provided by our companies, so we have different teachers. So now it happened that we had the same topic: future.
Both teachers are native English speakers,...
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"When I grow up, I am going to be a doctor"- Is it correct?
When I grow up, I am going to be a doctor.
Is this sentence correct? Personally I think my growing up will happen in future and "I am going to be a doctor" sounds like it is going to happen in next ...
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Can the Past Continuous be used for future events?
I am taking Spanish classes next week.
Despite that it is Present Continuous, it tells us about the future. But if I put it to the past, will it retain its meaning?
That day I started new life. I ...
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"Will" vs "going to" vs present continuous
Would you please tell me which tenses are suitable here?
... the sun (KEEP) burning forever?
Sometime in the next twenty-five years, a spaceship with a human crew (LAND) on Mars.
My grammar book ...
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2
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Some of you will have met me before vs Some of you met me before
I really do not get how "will" and past infinitive is used here. This comes from an example in a textbook, explaining usage of will in assumptions:
Some of you will have met me before.
I wonder, ...
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How to say that you have plans to go to the movies tonight?
How to say that you have plans to go to the movies tonight (but you are not sure yet, maybe you will have a pizza)? I mean there are options:
I am going to the cinema tonight.
Way too much ...
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"While" and "When" phrases in the future tense
When I am using the future tense, why do "while" and "when" clauses have to be in the present tense?
For instance,
"While I am eating you will be speaking on the phone"
and
"I will be ...
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Does "Pope to meet U.S. bishops" use the word "to" to emphasize?
Does this news article title use the word "to" to emphasize?
Pope to meet U.S. bishops amid sex abuse scandal, allegations of Vatican coverup
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"is getting" vs "will get"
Are there difference between those sentences?
Alex is getting married next month.
Alex will get married next month.
Seems that the first one is expressed in present continues, and the ...
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Does "to" refer to a future event
I stuck at page 338, Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Here's an excerpt,
Certainty adjective controlling subject-to-subject raising
1.[The government] is unlikely to meet ...
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Using the future tense in a sentence containing a dependent clause starting with "when"
Which of the following sentences is correct?
When we know what she decides, we will see what to do.
When we will know what she decides, we see what to do.
When we will know what she decides, ...
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Future Simple and Future Perfect
I've read the question about Future Simple and Future Perfect, but I still can't understand the exact usage of these two tenses.
Is there any diffrence between the following?
I will do my homework ...
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“If it is or is going to be/ will be in stock”
Now, I will first check if the CD I'd like to buy is
or is going to be in your stock before ordering in the USA.
Now, I will first check if the CD I'd like to buy is
or will be in your stock before ...
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Why is the present simple tense used for an event that is in the future?
I would like to know the difference between "be going to," the present continuous, and the present simple. We use one of them when we talk about future, but I can't differentiate them. For example:
...
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Why is 'what will you do tomorrow evening' incorrect?
‘What will you do / are you doing tomorrow evening?’ ‘Nothing.
I’m free.’ (Essential Grammar in Use)
The book says ‘are you doing’ is correct. But I don’t know why ‘will you do’ is not correct?
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Why can't you say don't instead of won't?
Our textbook says,
A: "I have to go shopping this afternoon."
B: "Don't forget the bread."
A: "No, I won't."
About the last sentence, why can't you say "No, I don't."?
i.e. Why is "No, I don'...
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Help understanding when to use an infinitive in this excercise
I was taking an English test and I haven't know which sentence is wrong. could you help me out?
a) The telephone is ringing. I will go to answer it.
b) I feel like going dancing tonight. Would you ...
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The present simple in "We leave London at 10.00 next Tuesday"
If someone says
We leave London at 10.00 next Tuesday and arrive in Paris at 13.00. We spend two hours in Paris and leave again at 15.00..
What do here present tenses mean? Do they mean like:
we ...
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The usage of the present simple for the future actions
I've got a bunch of examples dealing with the same issue. I have had some opinions on them but some of the opinions are controversial. So, I hope to get a better picture from you. The issue deals with ...
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Use of shall with "I and we"
I _ meet my friend tomorrow.
Usually shall is used with first person: I and we.
So, in the above sentence is it fair to use shall in the blank.
Actually my book mentioned the answer as Will, ...
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Why must the future tense not be used after 'unless'?
[Source:] !! Do not use the future tense after unless
[✓] I won't go unless you go
[✘] [I won't go] unless you will go. [✘]
Why not? Even if the above is prescriptive, what may be some reasons? ...
user8712
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When to use "be going to" / present continuous in future? [duplicate]
In our lesson we have
Be going to
future plans (personal)
prediction based on something we can see or hear
Present continuous
future arrangement
fixed plan
Is this right? Can someone explain this ...
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"I go to school tomorrow" to imply that I will attend school tomorrow
"I go to school tomorrow" to imply that I will attend school tomorrow. Is the aforementioned expression within inverted commas correct?
Fareed A
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It will be delivered after it [ is | was | will be ] inspected?
I have a problem understanding the difference between these sentences. Before new chapter in my English book I was kind of ok with all three sentences, but now I'm having trouble understanding them ...
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Present tenses with future reference
Consider this short dialogue please.
Alex: Hey, Mark, we are having a party on Saturday, do you want to come?
Mark: Thanks Alex, but I can't. I will be studying both Saturday and Sunday, because ...
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Using Simple present tense for future event / Plan / Schedule
Can we use simple present tense to communicate our future plans? Actually recently I read some strange sentences like,
a) The plane arrives at 18.00 tomorrow.
b) She has a yoga class tomorrow ...
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difference: be going; will
It’s not easy to discern which to choose among ‘be going to’ and ‘will’ to express a near future plan or intention. I’m going to bring up two cases.
[A] In a situation that when one says “Oh, I’m hot,...
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'Will' vs 'Must'
He will have painted the walls by tomorrow.
He must have painted the walls by yesterday.
Does each one have two different connotations?
So, if we have four different likelihood meanings, would ...
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"will have become" vs "are"
I've stumbled upon a sentence:
We can use it until better alternatives will have become available.
Although it sounds valid to me, I believe it conveys the same idea as
We can use it until ...
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Which sentence is most appropriate? "Next year Anny and I {will have been / will be} married for 25 years"
Which sentence would be most appropriate?
Next year Anny and I will have been married for 25 years.
Next year Anny and I will be married for 25 years.
(this sentence came out of a grammar book. I ...
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Using "will" vs "be going to" [duplicate]
It is a very confusing concept, when to use "will" or "be going to". Both of them refer to the future but there is a slight difference. One of the differences that I have found and ...
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Can we use "will" to describe future plans?
I was watching this video which says (at 0:55) we cannot use "will" to describe future plans because plans are not certain and we only should use "will" when we are certain about ...
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"I will be loving you 'til we're 70" vs. "I will love you 'til we're 70"
From Ed Sheeran's song Thinking Out Loud:
And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70
Why is it not
And, darling, I will love you 'til we're 70
?
Why is progressive used here?
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Does 'will' *really* mark future reference?
I just heard that will doesn't mark future reference, even though in teaching English it's highly comfortable to think of it as so.
I will find a way to neutralize the bomb.
I'm going to speak ...
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How do you say that tree rings (are - will be) closer if there isn't much rain [in a year]?
Which of these sentences is true?
If there is not much rain in a year, the rings in a tree are close together OR
If there is not much rain in a year, the rings in a tree will be close together
If I ...
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Construction of future tense with 'when'
Consider this expression
This knowledge will come handy, when I am going to go there this summer.
This knowledge will come handy when I go there this summer.
I would like to know if the previous ...
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May I use "will" in an "if" clause?
Which is of the following sentence is correct?
If you sit here 10 minutes, I will tell the manager you have been here for an hour.
If you will sit here 10 minutes, I will tell the manager you ...
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What is the meaning of "as if" here?
What is the meaning of "as if" in B?
A:The ceiling in this room doesn't look very safe, does it?
B:No, it looks as if it's going to fall down.
Can we omit it?
Another question, can we use ...
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Is it possible to use 'shall' for intentions? is PEU wrong here?
M.swan PEU (3rd edition-unit:217) says,
" Topic: announcing decisions: will
We often use will when we tell people about a decision as we make it.for instant if we're agreeing to do something.
&...
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Hope + future tense (will) / Hope + present tense
I have been told that I can't say "I hope I get this job (for example)", instead of it I should say "I hope I will get this job".
Here's my question: does it make difference (cuz I feel like it does);...
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The simple present for future? [duplicate]
I did search on the internet. but I couldn't still understand well how to use simple present for future. every grammar book says "simple present is used for events in the future which are 'timetabled, ...
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"I will have somebody + inf"
I have this sentence on a paraphrasing exercise
I'll ask Peter to help me move the furniture
I have to use the word give in this sentence
I will have Peter __________ moving the furniture
I ...
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Difference between present continuous and future progressive
Is it possible to write:
I am visiting my mother tomorrow. (fixed plan present continuous)
I will be visiting my mother tomorrow.
Are these sentences interchangeable or is there a difference? ...
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"I will be" or "I'm going to be" [duplicate]
Let's say someone doesn't feel fine at the moment when another person asks how he feels. But he's sure that he should feel better soon - which one is correct:
"I will be fine"
or
"I'm going to ...
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Future Pluperfect Tense
I was reading this question Future pluperfect and was really interested in how real is the Future Pluperfect tense.
I found this information:
This is from "The Future Pluperfect: Double Tenses in ...
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Will + Present Perfect constructions, application for past and future
And they will not have been in a bed or have had a shower in almost a week!
Does this sentence say that there will be a period of time in the future, and it will last a week, when they are not going ...
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'We are having a party this evening' - Why do we use the present continuous?
I have a sentence:
We are having a party this evening.
I don't know why we use present continuous. In grammar, we don't use having for possess.
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Is there tomorrow or Will there be tomorrow?
Which usage of "there" is proper for future tense?
Is there Liverpool's match tomorrow?
or,
Will there be Liverpool's match tomorrow?
Edit:
My point is that how can I use "there" ...
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'will submit' or 'will be submitting'
Which one is appropiate?
I will submit my assignments by tonight
I will be submitting my assignments by tonight.
I want to express that before the end of the day, I will submit my assignments.
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what is the difference between " when it rains" and "when it is going to rain"
I will buy an umbrella when it rains.
I will buy an umbrella when it is going to rain.
What is the difference between the first one and the second one?
Besides, can I change it to "when it is ...
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