EXPRESSING THE FUTURE

1.

A) I'M SURE YOU'LL PASS!________
B) I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO PASS!

A IS BETTER

B IS BETTER

BOTH ARE OK

BOTH ARE BAD

IT'S YOUR OPINION - SUBJECTIVE AND IN YOUR CONTROL

Explanation

IT'S YOUR OPINION - SUBJECTIVE AND IN YOUR CONTROL

2.

A) I'LL HAVE AN EXAM TOMORROW
B) I'M GOING TO HAVE AN EXAM TOMORROW

A IS BETTER

B IS BETTER

BOTH ARE OK

BOTH ARE BAD

AN EXAM IS SOMETHING PLANNED, OBJECTIVE, NOT IN YOUR CONTROL.

Explanation

AN EXAM IS SOMETHING PLANNED, OBJECTIVE, NOT IN YOUR CONTROL.

3. YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF BAGS! WAIT A SECOND....

A) I'LL TAKE THIS BAG FOR YOU.
B) I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS BAG FOR YOU.

A IS BETTER

B IS BETTER

BOTH ARE OK

BOTH ARE BAD

VERY CLEAR - IT IS NOT A PLAN, IT IS A SUBJECTIVE, PERSONAL REACTION, SO THE ANSWER IS A

Explanation

VERY CLEAR - IT IS NOT A PLAN, IT IS A SUBJECTIVE, PERSONAL REACTION, SO THE ANSWER IS A

4.

A) I MIGHT NOT GO TO THE MATCH
B) PERHAPS I WON'T GO TO THE MATCH

A IS BETTER

B IS BETTER

BOTH ARE OK

BOTH ARE BAD

'B' IS GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT (it's not a mistake) BUT NO NATIVE SPEAKER WOULD USUALLY SAY IT.

Explanation

'B' IS GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT (it's not a mistake) BUT NO NATIVE SPEAKER WOULD USUALLY SAY IT.

5.

A) WHERE IS HE GOING THIS WEEKEND?
B) WHERE IS HE GOING TO GO THIS WEEKEND?

A IS BETTER

B IS BETTER

BOTH ARE OK

BOTH ARE BAD

THIS IS DIFFICULT. BOTH ARE OK, BUT A IS BETTER, BECAUSE NATIVE SPEAKERS DON'T USUALLY SAY 'I'M GOING TO GO TO THE CINEMA'
IF YOU CHOSE C, GIVE YOURSELF HALF A POINT (I CAN'T IN THIS PROGRAM)

Explanation

THIS IS DIFFICULT. BOTH ARE OK, BUT A IS BETTER, BECAUSE NATIVE SPEAKERS DON'T USUALLY SAY 'I'M GOING TO GO TO THE CINEMA'
IF YOU CHOSE C, GIVE YOURSELF HALF A POINT (I CAN'T IN THIS PROGRAM)

6.

A) LIVERPOOL ARE PLAYING CHELSEA THIS SATURDAY
B) LIVERPOOL ARE GOING TO PLAY CHELSEA THIS SATURDAY

A IS BETTER

B IS BETTER

BOTH ARE OK

BOTH ARE BAD

WHEN YOU SAY WHEN (this Saturday), THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS CAN USUALLY REPLACE 'GOING TO'

Explanation

WHEN YOU SAY WHEN (this Saturday), THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS CAN USUALLY REPLACE 'GOING TO'

7.

A) THEIR PLANE LANDS AT 6:15
B) THEIR PLANE'S LANDING AT 6:15

A IS BETTER

B IS BETTER

BOTH ARE OK

BOTH ARE BAD

FOR TIMETABLES IT IS VERY COMMON TO USE THE PRESENT SIMPLE (a): IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
(b) IS ALSO OK BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND YOU SAY WHEN (at 6:15) SO YOU CAB USE THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS.

Explanation

FOR TIMETABLES IT IS VERY COMMON TO USE THE PRESENT SIMPLE (a): IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
(b) IS ALSO OK BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND YOU SAY WHEN (at 6:15) SO YOU CAB USE THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS.

8. I'VE JUST BOUGHT A NEW HOUSE, JUST STARTED A NEW JOB....

A) THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WILL BE HARD
B) THE NEXT FEW MONTHS ARE GOING TO BE HARD

A IS BETTER

B IS BETTER

BOTH ARE OK

BOTH ARE BAD

BOTH ARE OK. THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT(a) 'WILL' IS YOUR OPINION, BUT YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW. WITH 'B' YOU HAVE DONE YOUR CALCULATIONS AND YOU HAVE REASONS TO THINK LIKE THIS.

Explanation

BOTH ARE OK. THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT(a) 'WILL' IS YOUR OPINION, BUT YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW. WITH 'B' YOU HAVE DONE YOUR CALCULATIONS AND YOU HAVE REASONS TO THINK LIKE THIS.

9.

A) WHAT WILL YOU DO TONIGHT?
B) WHAT DO YOU DO TONIGHT?

A IS BETTER

B IS BETTER

BOTH ARE OK

BOTH ARE BAD

THE CORRECT QUESTION IS 'What are you going to do tonight?' OR 'What are you doing tonight?'. YOU WANT TO KNOW PLANS, NOT OPINIONS (a), OR WHAT THE PERSON USUALLY DOES (b).

Explanation

THE CORRECT QUESTION IS 'What are you going to do tonight?' OR 'What are you doing tonight?'. YOU WANT TO KNOW PLANS, NOT OPINIONS (a), OR WHAT THE PERSON USUALLY DOES (b).

10.

A) WE AREN'T GOING OUT IF IT RAINS THIS WEEKEND
B) WE WON'T GO OUT IF IT RAINS THIS WEEKEND

A IS BETTER

B IS BETTER

BOTH ARE OK

BOTH ARE BAD

ANOTHER DIFFICULT ONE. ENGLISH SPEAKERS SAY BOTH SENTENCES WITH NO PROBLEM, BUT GRAMMATICALLY IT IS INCORRECT TO USE 'a'. WITH THE FIRST CONDITIONAL (If + Present) YOU SHOULDN'T USE THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS. THE IMPORTANCE DEPENDS ON IF YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE AN EXAM. IF NOT, GIVE YOURSELF HALF A POINT.

Explanation

ANOTHER DIFFICULT ONE. ENGLISH SPEAKERS SAY BOTH SENTENCES WITH NO PROBLEM, BUT GRAMMATICALLY IT IS INCORRECT TO USE 'a'. WITH THE FIRST CONDITIONAL (If + Present) YOU SHOULDN'T USE THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS. THE IMPORTANCE DEPENDS ON IF YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE AN EXAM. IF NOT, GIVE YOURSELF HALF A POINT.

Expressing The Future