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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Why is "won't" used instead of "doesn't" sometimes?
I've started noticing people using constructions like "something won't do something" as a present tense instead of "something doesn't do something".
For example, here is a piece from Eminem's song
...
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Is it incorrect to say I'm 20 years old next month?
Is it incorrect to say
I'm 20 years old next month.
I'm learning through an English app. It says that the sentence above is incorrect and the correct answer is
I shall be 20 years old next month.
...
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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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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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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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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 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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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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Can I use future tense and past tense in one sentence with "if"?
Let's imagine I wrote a report a day ago and now I'm informing my partners about this. Can I say:
Elena will correct me if I missed something important.
Elena will read my report in the ...
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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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"....in 10 days" or ".....after 10 days."
The text is from BBC web site:
"....Under the measures, Austrians will be asked to work from home, non-essential shops will close, and schools will remain open for children who require face-to-...
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Will you be having cake?
The first question is in the Future Continuous tense. Often used in very polite requests and offers.
Will you be having cake?
Yes, thank you.
Yes, I will.
Yes, I will be
Yes, I will ...
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What tense should we use in the present time (now) to refer to an event happening during a future other event?
I have planned a meeting, that will be the day after tomorrow.
If now I want to tell someone about the main point of the meeting, what could I choose?
During the meeting we are discussing about ...
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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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Using "now" with the future tense
When I am joking about something told me, which is not correct, in Italian I often reply with Ora mi dirai che […] (literally, "now you will tell me that […]").
Is it correct to use now in a sentence ...
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"going to" vs. "fixing to"
"Well, you knew Roxanne was fixing to get married," Gladiola begins. Sarah stares at her. "You mean Missy," she says [...] (The New York Times)
If I'm not wrong, in the sentence above I observe that "...
user114
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"Speak of the devil and he shall appear"- Why is "shall" allowed here?
Speak of the devil and he shall appear
First the thing struck me was use of "shall" because "shall" has taken it's place pretty much in language museum. It appears via the Wikipedia article that it ...
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Is this correct... "Every time I will listen to this song, I will remember you."
Is this correct... "Every time I will listen to this song, I will remember you."
It's just that using will twice sounds awkward to me.
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Past and future linked
I want to link the logic of some event in the future with some event in the past.
"If the shop worked tomorrow, the owner would have come back yesterday."
Is it proper English?
If it is, then what ...
FrenchWoofy
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Present progressive vs shall/will
I want to compare the point of the following three sentences:
You will never finish this book.
You are never finishing this book.
You aren't going to finish this book.
My understanding:
Denote only ...
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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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Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?
The title comes from the song Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey (YouYube).
"Will you" == future, "I'm" == present.
Is that sentence correct? It does sound a little weird to me, since in italian we ...
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"Will you work this evening?" vs "Will you be working this evening?"
Let's suppose I'm gonna ask my collegue whether he or she is working this evening. Could you please explain what is the difference between the two phrases below?
Will you work this evening?
Will you ...
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Why is "would" used in this passage?
He retired to his country estate, where he recorded his reflections on politics. Two of his books would become classics in political theory: Discourses on the First Ten Books of Livy, a set of essays ...
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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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When to use "be" in a sentence?
We'll be late!
We'll late!
You'll be so tired in the morning.
You'll so tired in the morning.
It will be very pleasant for you.
It will very pleasant for you.
I'll be all right.
I'll all right.
To ...
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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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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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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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"It'll be the first time he has met his dad." / "........ he meets his dad." / ".........he'll meet his dad."
This is from a TV show in which a family reunites 14 years after. And the son, Zach, along with mom, are waiting at the airport for the father to show up. At that time, the presenter says:
It'll be ...
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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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What is the difference between ‘I'm never having a beard when I grew up’’ and 'I will never have a beard when I grew up'? Request
What is the difference between ‘I'm never having a beard when I grew up’’ and 'I will never have a beard when I grew up'?
Are the two sentences the same in meaning or they are different?
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Use of the future tense after the phrase "I'll let you know when..."
Which sentence should I use?
I'll let you know when I have more information.
I'll let you know when I'll have more information.
Also, what is the proper grammatical explanation for the correct ...
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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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She said the train left at 8 pm
Can I say the sentence in the following context?
Now it's 7 pm, my friend Jane said " The train leaves at 8 pm"
Can I say
Jane said that the train left at 8 pm.(becauses now it is just 7 pm)
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Verb forms -s -ing (future tense)
Can I use the -s and -ing form interchangeably if I'm talking about something in the future?
Person A:
Do you know when David gets his car back from the dealership?
Do you know when David is ...
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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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Mr. Sanders _______ on a business trip to Tokyo until the end of this week
Mr. Sanders _______ on a business trip to Tokyo until the end of this week, so he will not be able to complete the sales report as scheduled.
A. would have been
B. will be
C. will have been
D. was ...
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Is 'make sure no one knows you are playing this game' grammatically weird?
In some websites, there are sticky ads with slogans like these:
Close the door tight and start playing this game!
Make sure no one knows you are playing this game!
The second sentence sounds kind of ...
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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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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 hospital will take hours to treat you." - How should I understand it?
What is the meaning of The hospital will take hours to treat you?
Does it mean that you will spend hours in the hospital before you will be treated (because there will be a lot of people there)?
Or ...
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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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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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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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"By the time you received this email"?
I received this email from Microsoft and really don't understand it.
We hope that everything is working as expected by the time you received this email
I don't understand the logic behind ...
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"I 'will'/'would' wager he 'has heard'/'will have heard' I have dismissed"
“I will wager he has heard I have dismissed the duke and the
comte. He thinks he has me, and because he does, he has dared to
ignore me. Oh, I just hate his arrogance!” She stamped her foot
...
user114
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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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"I'll go buy some tomatoes." and "I go buy some tomatoes." Which one makes more sense?
"I'll go buy some tomatoes." and "I go buy some tomatoes." Which one makes more sense?
I think "I'll go buy some tomatoes." makes more sense since the simple future in this case shows a voluntary ...
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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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