Grammar: Future Tenses on the web-site for teachers and learners of English as a secondary language from a German point of view
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Grammar: Example future tenses

 going-to-future
 
Form
 I   am      ( Ich habe vor......) 
         
You   are 
         
He         
She  is  going to  see (verb) (Er/Sie hat vor.....)
 It   is  going to rain (Es wird gleich....)
         
We        
You   are       
They        
 
Function
  • Intention + plan (premeditated), Absicht und Vorhaben 
  • Certainty, Gewißheit/Schlußfolgerung 
Curriculum 1. Lehrplan

Klasse 6/7 
Wiederholung Klasse 9 

2. Lehrbuch
previously done:
forms of "to be"
present progressive
 
Difficulties 1. form
forms of to be + going (omission of to + verb) 

2. function
meaning: to be + going to = future ( Sinnentleerung von to go)

3. inter-, intralingual interferences
Verwechslung mit present progressive

4. other difficulties

  • going to go, going to come werden meist durch present progressive:     he's going / coming next week ersetzt.
  • Konkurrierende Strukturen: 
  Do you mean/intend to do it?  (Hast du die Absicht....)
  Are you prepared to do it? (Bist du bereit.....)
  Do you want/wish to do it?  (Willst/Möchtest du ...)
  I hope to arrive in time tomorrow (Hoffentlich werde ich..)
  I'd like to have a birthday party next Monday (Ich möchte gerne...)
 
Situations
  • making plans: I'm going to watch TV this evening (= I want to watch TV and I'm determined to do so) : 
  • vorher überlegte Absichten: Wunsch und Entschluß
  • Look at those clouds. It's going to rain soon.
   ( = I can see from all signs what will be next without being able to do anything against it.) 
  Gewißheit aufgrund von Indizien ohne persönlichen Einfluß 

will-future
 

Form I / We            shall / will / 'll / shan't + go (verb)

You 
He 
She                 will / 'll / won't           + go (verb)
It 
You 
They

Shall/ Shant     I / we                        + go (verb)
Will / won't      you, he, she, it, they  + go (verb)
Function 1. Intention (unpremeditated), spontanes Versprechen oder spontane 
    Willenserklärung (fast nur mit I / We)
2. Prediction - personal opinion, 
    Weather report: Vorhersage ohne persönliche Entscheidung, äußere Umstände
3. if-clauses type I (reale Bedingungen)
4. bei Verben, die keine Present progressive form  bilden
Curriculum 1. Lehrplan

1. Klasse 6/7+/9 
2. Klasse 7/8/9
3. Klasse 7

2. Lehrbuch
previously done:
I must go = modal auxiliaries + verb
Difficulties 1. form
will/shall/won't/shan't and other auxiliaries

2. function
meaning 

3. inter-, intralingual interferences
* "I will" can't be translated with  "Ich will" -- I want to

4. other difficulties
I won't = I want (pronunciation, spelling and usage)
 
Situations 1. spontane Absicht: 
  • offer:                Shall I help... 
  • suggestion       Will you come... 
  • promises:          I'll do it. 
2. Personal Opinion:  I think he'll come.
    Weather report:      It'll be cloudy / There'll be clouds
3. if - clauses

present progressive
 

Form
I am
He
She
It is  (verb + ing) running
We
You are
They
Function 1. definite future arrangements (fester Plan / Vereinbarung) mit Zeitangabe in naher Zukunft
    ((together with adverbials of time: soon, next Monday, tomorrow, this afternoon, soon etc.)
2. Are you going? - Yes, I'm coming.  statt "going to-future" bei to go / to come
 
Curriculum 1. Lehrplan
Fehlanzeige
2. Lehrbuch
previously done: present progressive in present meaning
Difficulties 1. form:  restricted list of verbs see simple present tense

2. function: differences between "going-to" future" and present progressive
                  present progressive with present or future meaning 

3. inter-, intralingual interferences: *  see function

4. other difficulties: word order of/with adverbials of time
Situations
1. arrangements: Tony is coming in half an hour.
2. plans (already agreed on)  So We are leaving tomorrow at 7.
3. programmes (decided by the calendar): We are watching TV tonight. 

Simple present
 

Form I, You, We, They go (=verb)
He, She, It runs
Function 1. fixed dates - You often use the verbs "arrive, start, leave, end as signal words.
2. real conditions
3. relating to temporal settings
Curriculum Fehlanzeige
Difficulties 1. form - "With He/She/It -s has got to hit"

2. function - competing with the present progressive in future meaning
   The train leaves at 11.30 - The train is leaving in 5 minutes.

3. inter-, intralingual interferences: more frequent use in German than in English
 
Situations 1. Programmes, schedules, time-tables etc which fix the speaker's or agents time
   The train arrives at 11.30 
2. In if-clauses (type I) (but use will-future in the main clauses):
    If I do my homework, I'll get a good mark.
3. in temporal clauses with "before, as soon as, when" (but use will-future in the main clauses):
   Before I go home, I'll phone you.
   As soon as I finish, I'll go home.
   When she meets me, she'll give me the book back.
   I won't start to eat until Peter comes home.
   Mary will bake a cake while Peter washes the car.

<Click here and you will always get back to the table of contents>
Table of Contents
 Example:
"future tenses"		 HOMEback to the homepagePAGE to the top back to the previous page back to
Questions and negations
A little story		 go on to
progressive substitution: 
"future"
on to the next page