How present continuouscan be used to show futurity?
Answers
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MEANS OF EXPRESSING FUTURITY
An action that takes place in the future is not under the control of the speaker as are the actions that took place in the past or are taking place in the present. Linguistic frustration, as to the action that is to take place in the future, is seen in the fact that in English there are few future tenses proper, but a large number of means of expressing futurity. The speakers feel uncomfortable that they cannot have real control over future actions and, consequently, they have ''invented'' a variety of means used to express an action that will take place in the future. Up to a certain point all these means are synonymous in the fact that they all express a future action; but synonymy stops at this point as each of these means differs from the others in various ways. When discussing futurity, a distinction is made between
future with intention
and
future without intention
1
:
Future with intention
: a form which expresses a future action which will be undertaken by the speaker in accordance with his wishes.
Shall/will + Infinitive
,
Be going to- form
,
Present Continuous
can be used in this way.
Future without intention
: a form which merely states that a certain action will happen.
The Present Simple
and
Future Continuous
can be used in this way. The various means of expressing the future in English are:
1. The Present Continuous Tense 2. The Present Simple Tense 3. The Future Simple Tense 4. The Future Continuous Tense 5. The Future Perfect Simple 6. The Future Perfect Continuous 7. The ''going to'' form 8. Be + infinitive (to be to) 9. To be about + infinitive 10. To be on the point of + gerund
1. The Present Continuous Tense as a future form
Characteristics:
it is used only with a future time expression as, otherwise, it may be confused with the present continuous tense proper; it is used to express a ''definite arrangement'' in the near future; with verbs of movement from one place to another, e.g.
arriv
e,
come , drive , fly , go , leave , start , travel , verbs indicating position, e.g.
stay , remain and the verbs do , and , have (food and drink) the present continuous tense can be used to express a decision or plan without any definite arrangement. This method of expressing the future cannot be used with verbs which are not normally used in the continuous tenses. These verbs should be put in another form of expressing future action. it cannot be associated with adverbs of frequency.
stay , remain and the verbs do , and , have (food and drink) the present continuous tense can be used to express a decision or plan without any definite arrangement. This method of expressing the future cannot be used with verbs which are not normally used in the continuous tenses.