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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > Present continuous OR ´ ´going to ´ ´ future?    

Present continuous OR ´ ´going to ´ ´ future?



cemakyol
Turkey

Present continuous OR ´ ´going to ´ ´ future?
 
 
      My dear colleauges,
      Can you tell me which forms are correct and why?
      They look similar so muchhh...
 
          Underline the correct form.

1   I don’t think he’s going to phone / phoning tonight.

2   I’m travelling / going to travel around the world one day.

3   I can’t come to the cinema, I’m meeting / going to meet Jan tonight.

4   Fran says she’s buying / going to buy some milk on her way home.

5   What are you doing / going to do when you leave university?

6   You’re not going to enjoy / enjoying the party next Friday.

25 Mar 2010      





sclail
Italy

Hi!,
 
1. going to - because it ´s more of an intention(phoning would mean more that it wasn ´t planned for tonight)
2. going to - again because it ´s an intention, but no real plan has yet been made, with concrete dates etc
3. I ´m meeting - because it ´s an arrangement (planned, organised, fixed)
4. going to - because it ´s an intention, THOUGH it is one of the cases where you could use buying, though because it ´s being reported I ´d say you are reporting someone elses intention.
5. going to  - again, intention is more the implied question, but "doing" could also work if plans have already been made....for example the person asking the question could you going to (to enquire about future intentions) but if the responding person has already found a placement or job, they could reply with Present Continuous (because it ´s a fixed plan)
6. going to - you can ´t say someone has PLANNED not to enjoy the party.  GOING TO is the only correct one here, it ´s more like a prediction (therefore will could also be used - you won ´t enjoy the party next Friday).  E.g.  I think it ´s going to rain tomorrow.
 
hope this helps!
 
Good luck

25 Mar 2010     



cemakyol
Turkey

Thank you sooo much dear sclail... :)

25 Mar 2010     



deeedee
Spain

I totally agree with sclail.

25 Mar 2010     



anaram
Spain

I agree with you all except for one little thing: I don�t think sentence 5 can take present continuous. You first have to finish University, you may have some intention or plan for the future but it doesn�t seem to be so fixed as to use a present tense. In general, the use of present for future situations is because we anticipate the future and take it for granted, it would sound strange with a when clause.

25 Mar 2010     



sclail
Italy

Yes, I do agree that 5 is much more likely to be "going to" for the reasons you have mentioned.  But it �s not impossible to use use the present continuous (if for example the person asking knows that they have made plans...)

 

 

25 Mar 2010