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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > help with tenses    

help with tenses



angelamoreyra
Argentina

help with tenses
 
hello can you help I have doubts:will or going to.
1- it �s 8:15 pm and Alan is still in bed ,he....................catch the 8:20 bus.
2-computers are becoming important.More people ............have a computer at home.
 
thank you in advance.
 
by the way ,There is a site which have funny food drawings I think you �ll like it

20 Jul 2009      





lynn_28
Costa Rica

hI!!

CHECK http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplefuture.html

THERE ARE SOME EXPLANATIONS ABOUT THIS...

20 Jul 2009     



Popina
Uruguay

HI THERE! FOR NUMBER 1 THE CORRECT ANSWER IS GOING TO ( BASED ON EVIDENCE)
AND FOR NUMBER TWO WILL IS CORRECT BECAUSE IT �S A PREDICTION.

20 Jul 2009     



baiba
Latvia

Ha ha ha! I think it is the opposite, Popina! In the first sentence we can predict that �he won �t catch the bus �. In the second there is evidence that �more people are going to have... �
What are our native speakers saying?

20 Jul 2009     



paula_esl
Portugal

Hi! I agree with Popina. It �s obvious he isn �t going to catch the 8.20 bus. You can �t predict what is obvious. In the second sentence, you are making a prediction about the future. It should be �will �

20 Jul 2009     



amely13
Ukraine

Popina is absolutely right.Clap

20 Jul 2009     



mjotab
Spain

I would also say not going to in the first and will in the second, though I am never certain about this subject, and if it is difficult for us, I wonder how it must be for our stsErmm

20 Jul 2009     



GIOVANNI
Canada

Catch the bus means the same as get the bus.  As he only has 5 minutes to catch the bus it is evident that he will not make it on time.  I would have to say not going to based on evidence.  As for the second I would feel free using both will and going to.

20 Jul 2009     



goodnesses
Algeria

dear !
I really wonder how he could catch the bus of 8:20 since he is in bed at 8:15. Unless he ate some kind of spinach better than Popey �s and had already got his ticket in his pocket, I don �t believe he could.

The two examples, in my opinion, are expressing a strong possibility. in the first one we are almost sure he cannot catch that train so the verb should negative "won �t/cannot catch" in the second one we are almost sure that more people are to have computers so the very should be "will have"

cheers

Edit:the bus not the train

20 Jul 2009     



ballycastle1
United Kingdom

I would say �was going to � (going to - to indicate a general plan or intention, rather than a prediction, the other use of the phrase) for the first one, to indicate that his intention will not be fulfilled, because, as Giovanni says, he won �t do it now; for the second, �are going to � to predict future events based on present concrete evidence, and also �will � where the prediction is based on judgement, knowledge or guesswork.

20 Jul 2009     



maufon
Costa Rica

What a nice discussion!!!!
Everything is as  clear as the water now.   Isn�t it titila???
 
I am just kidding. Hugs to all of you!Hug

21 Jul 2009     

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