Friday, September 6, 2019

More Future Tense--Should I Use "Will" or "Going To"?

Why are there two different ways to form the simple future tense in English? What is the difference, and how do you know which to use? Englishpage.com has a very good explanation.

Use will to talk about a voluntary action (something you freely offer to do for someone else). Also use will to ask for help or to respond to a request for help, or to a complaint:

Joe: "This table is too heavy for me to carry by myself."
Tom: "OK, I will help you move it." Will you help me move my bed tomorrow?
Joe: "OK, I will. (this is a short answer using will)

Use be + going to + base form of verb to talk about something you plan or intend to do:

Tom: "After we move the furniture, I am going to finish my homework."

My Suggestion: Click on the link below and read the entire lesson on the simple future tense. Be sure to read the section titled No Future in Time Clauses (you can't use the future tense  when you're making a statement that includes a time clause introduced by a word like when, while, before, after, as soon as, etc.). Then try Verb Tense Exercises 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22. Each exercise has a "hint" button at the bottom of the page. If you click it, you will get the next letter of the answer (for instance, if the answer is will travel the first hint will be the letter w). You lose one point every time you ask for a hint. When you finish the exercise, click the "check" button to check your answers.

LINK: Simple Future Tense Lesson and Exercises


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