Unit 5

GAMMAR

Future time / present tenses in time clauses / prepositions of time

and place

Expressing the future: will/won’t and be going to

There is sometimes little difference in meaning between will and be going

to. It is often just a matter of formality. Will is generally more formal than

be going to.

Use

Example

Facts about the

future

The website will come online next week. (more formal)

The website's going to come online next week. (more

informal)

Predictions not

based on present

evidence.

In the future, everyone will have their own flying car.

(more formal)

In the future, everyone is going to have their own flying

car. (more informal)

Decisions made at

the moment of

speaking

I've decided! 1 won't get a new DVD player just yet.

(emphasizing the decision)

I've decided! I'm not going to get a new DVD player

just yet. (emphasizing the intention)

Sometimes it is more appropriate to use will rather than be going to.

Use

Example

Offers and suggestions

I'll help you with your physics homework, if you

like.

Requests

.

Will you help me with my physics homework?

Most first conditional

sentences

If we get a computer, we'll be able to surf the

Internet.

With offers and suggestions in the question form, we do not

use will with I and we. We use shall.



Shall I help you with your physics homework?



-Will I help you with your physics homework?-

Sometimes it is more appropriate to use be going to rather than will.

Use

Example

Plans and

intentions(which you

already have when you

I'm going to be a famous doctor one day!

Predictions based on

present evidence.

It sounds like the plane's going to take off in a

few minutes.

(Expressing the future: present continuous)

Use

Example

Arrangements made

before the moment of

speaking

Are they installing the new computers next

week?

(Expressing the future: present simple