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

Future Tense of Verbs

This week in class we have started to learn about the future tense. The English language has a few different ways to talk about the future tense--something that has not happened yet. If you missed class this week, or if you want to read a good explanation of the future tense, the link below will take you a page at Englishhints.com that has a good overview.

My Suggestion: Click on the link below and read about the two main ways to form the future tense--

1. will  + base form of verb--Example: I will write the report tomorrow.
2. be + going to + base form of verb--Example: I am going to write the report tomorrow. ***

Then try the practice exercise where it says Practice forming the future tense. After sentence #10, click on the blue link to check your answers.

How to Make the Future Tense of Verbs

***Remember that to + the base form of the verb is called the infinitive of the verb. So another way to think of the "going to" form of the future tense is:

be + going+ infinite form of verb--Example: I am going to write the report tomorrow.

Review of Future Tense

There are three ways to express future tense: present continuous (for an activity scheduled ahead of time), simple present using going to, and simple present using will. Review and practice each way, using the links below.

My suggestion: Clink on the links below to review (read the summary) and then practice (click on the exercises) each way of expressing future time. Most exercises are "click and drag," but if you have to type in text, do not put in extra spaces (do not put a space at the beginning of your answer, and use only one space between words), or the computer will read your answer as incorrect.

LINK: Present Continuous (or sometimes Simple Present) for Future Scheduled Activities) 

LINK: Simple Future with "Going to"

LINK: Simple Future with "Will"

LINK: "Going To" or "Will"? 

Rachel's English Videos--Common American pronunciation reductions

In class today we talked about how Americans say gonna instead of going to, wanna instead of want to, whaddya instead of what do you, etc. These run-together pronunciations are called reductions because Americans reduce the sounds--make them smaller or run the words together--when we say them in everyday conversation.

 You can listen to many videos (and read along with the words you hear in the videos) at rachelsenglish.com. Spending time with these videos is one way to train your ear to quickly recognize what Americans say in conversation, which can seem very different from the written words. Listen to Rachel explain and pronounce these words or phrases, and practice saying them with her.

My suggestion: Click on the links below to practice some common American pronunciation reductions and get used to hearing them in conversation.

What did/whud' or What did you/wu-juh

I'm going to/I'm gonna/I'muna

Gonna (going to), ahright (all right), sorduv (sort of), kn (can) and others 

Here's a sample video:

Do Yourself a Favor--Check Out These Lessons on Simple Present Vs. Present Progressive Tense

If you follow my suggestion below, you will get lots of instruction and practice in correctly using the simple present and present progressive tenses. Just beware of clicking on anything that says "Download" or anything listed under "Ad Choice" (which is in tiny print)--doing that will waste your time by taking you to advertisements.

My suggestion: Click on the link below and explore the explanations and exercises listed on the right.

LINK: Simple present and present progressive lessons and exercises at grammarbank.com

Listen and Write the Verb You Hear

We don't have time to do a lot of listening practice in class. However, the Listening Lab at the website learnamericanenglish.com has many listen-and-write exercises. You can pick an easier or a harder grammar level (blue is the easiest, and there are seven levels in all).

After you click on one of the links below, click on the arrow next to the teacher's picture. He will dictate (read something for you to write down) a sentence. You have to listen for the verb and then write it down. When you write down the words you hear, you are transcribing those words.

At the blue (easiest) level, you listen to a sentence and then fill in the verb you hear (the rest of the sentence is already typed for you). Click on one of the following links to practice listening and writing at the blue level:

LINK: Listening practice--present tense verbs


LINK: Listening practice--present continuous verbs


LINK: Listen for the correct helping verb: be or do?

Forming Questions--Read More Than One Explanation

Learning how to ask questions in English is confusing. Sometimes you change the word order of subject and verb:  
Bob is tall. (statement word order is subject + verb)  
Is Bob tall? (question word order is verb + subject).
When the verb is a form of "to be" in simple present tense (am, is, are) or simple past tense (was, were), subject and verb change places to make a question.

In other types of questions, you leave the word order the same and put a question word such as where or why, plus a helping verb such as do, does (present tense) or did (past tense) at the beginning:  
Bob walked to work yesterday. Why did Bob walk to work yesterday? Where did Bob walk today?  
For questions in the simple past tense, the main verb changes from past tense (walked) to the base form (walk), and the helping verb did takes on the job of showing past tense.

However, if the subject of the sentence is the same as the answer to the question, you don't need a helping verb and the main verb stays in the past tense:
Who walked to work yesterday? Bob. Bob walked to work yesterday.
What made that squeaking noise? A mouse. A mouse made that squeaking noise. 

A different person's way of explaining how to ask questions might make more sense to you. Try reading several explanations of how to form questions in English.

My suggestion: Click on the three links below to read different explanations of how to ask questions. (these lessons may include types of questions we have not studied yet in class). Each link has exercises you can try after you read the lesson. 

WH Questions            Asking Questions              An Easy Way to Form Questions

 

Third Person Singular Present Tense Verbs--That Pesky "S"

Last week we reviewed spelling rules for adding the final -s to 3rd person singular verbs in the present tense. English language learners have a lot of trouble with that final -s. Grammarbank.com has some good exercises on the 3rd person singular of simple present tense verbs. Again, beware of clicking on buttons which are actually links to downloads or advertisements, not grammar lessons or quizzes. Instead, scroll down to the numbered questions.

My suggestion: Click on the links below to practice using the correct person and number of present tense verbs. You'll also get a little practice with questions and negative statements in the present tense.

NOTE: If the sentence is a negative statement or question, type in the complete verb, including what is in parentheses, not just do or does, or your answer will be marked incorrect. Also, use a capital letter if the blank is at the beginning of the sentence. 

Example: ______ (Mark/like) cookies?
Correct answer: Does Mark like
Incorrect answers: Does, does, does Mark like, Do, do, Do Mark like

LINK: Practice simple present tense, 3rd person singular

LINK: More practice with simple present tense

Remember, simple present tense is used to give information (facts) or to talk about usual habits or activities. If you need to review the grammar of the simple present tense, click this link:

LINK: Review of simple present tense with frequency adverbs