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1. I am going to write an letter to Mary this weekend.
2. I will write a letter to Mary this weekend.
3. Bill is going to be at the sports centre tonight.
4. Bill will be at the sports centre tonight.
Sentences 1 & 2 have the same meaning.
Sentences 3 & 4 have the same meaning.
The use of shall (used only with first person singular and first person plural, i.e. I and we) to
express future time in infrequent and formal.
· Expressing the future: forms of WILL
SHORT ANSWER: Yes, will.
(I – you – he – she – it – we – they)
No, won’t.
CONTRACTIONS: I’ll, you’ll, she’ll, he’ll, it’ll, we’ll, they’ll
1. Pete will probably play tennis tomorrow.
2. Pete probably won’t play tennis tomorrow.
3. Pete will probably not play tennis tomorrow. (FORMAL)
Probably is often used together with will.
When probably is used with will , it is placed between will and the main
verb, as in example 1.
In a negative sentence, probably comes in front of won’t , as in example
sentence 2.
In a more formal context, probably is placed between will and not , as in
example sentence 3.
· BE GOING TO vs. WILL
3. I bought some chips and drinks and things because I am going to invite
some friends over to my flat for a party.
1. Melanie is going to come over to study with me tonight.
2. Melanie is coming over to study with me tonight.
9. Jan is going to drive her car to work tomorrow morning.
10. Jan is driving her car to work tomorrow morning.
11. A: You shouldn’t go skiing this weekend. The weather is very
unstable. You can’t afford it. You have 3 exams to study for next
week. Your car needs new tires, so it’s unsafe to drive it that far.
Your father needs you to help him clean out the basement. Going
skiing is not really a very good idea.
B: I am leaving for the mountains this evening! I’ve already
decided, so don’t try and make me change my mind. There’s half
a metre of new snow, and I don’t want to miss it. I’m going skiing,
I’m spending the whole long weekend on the slopes. So let’s just
not talk about it anymore.
A: Well, it’s your life and it’s your money. Do whatever you want.
The present continuous is often used to express future time. The sentence
example pairs, 12, 34, 56, 78, 910 all have the same meaning. Normally
the present continuous is used to express future time when the sentence
meaning involves a definite plan, a definite intention, a definite future
activity. A future meaning for the present continuous is indicated either by
future time words or expressions, e.g. tomorrow, next Friday, next week, this
coming summer, in a couple of hours, the day after tomorrow. . . . or by the
context.
Verbs such as come, go, stay, arrive, leave are frequently used in the future
continuous to express a future time. These verbs express definite plans.
Verbs expressing planned means of transportation in the future are also
frequently used in the present continuous; for example fly, walk, ride, drive,
take (a bus, a plane, a train, a taxi, etc.)
Sometimes a speaker will use the present continuous when he or she wants to
make a very strong statement about a future activity, such as in example 11.