Unit 8 – Talking about future plans
WILL AND GOING TO
- WE USE GOING TO RATHER THAN WILL WHEN WE PREDICT THAT STH WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME EVIDENCE FOR IT NOW.
'What's that matter with her?' 'She thinks she's going to faint.'
- HOWEVER, IF WE MAKE A PREDICTION BASED ON OUR OPINION OR OUR PAST EXPERIENCE WE USE WILL:
I imagine the stadium will be full for the match on Saturday.
- WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INTENTIONS OR DECISIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE THAT WERE MADE SOME TIME BEFORE WE REPORT THEM, WE PREFER GOING TO OR THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS
' Who's arranging the party?' ' Jo's going to do it.'
( this has been planned )
Toni told me that she's going to move back to Spain.
( reporting an intention )
PRESENT CONTINUOUS FOR THE FUTURE
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AN INTENTION TO DO STH IN THE FUTURE, ALTHOUGH NO DEFINITE ARRANGEMENT HAS BEEN MADE, WE PREFER GOING TO RATHER THAN THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS. TO EMPHASISE THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A DEFINITE ARRANGEMENT, WE PREFER THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS.
-Before I go to China next year,I'm going to learn some Cantonese.
-I'm still not feeling very well, so I think I'm going to see the doctor some time this week. / -T hey're leaving from Frankfurt airport at 6.30 pm.
-We're having a party on Sunday, 12th November. Can you come?
Exercises
Choose will ( 'll ) or ( be ) going to, whichever is correct or more likely, and one of these verbs.
collapse eat enter explode have increase leave
paint phone re-open retire see show be sick walk
1. Get out of the building! It sounds like the generator 's going to explode.
2. Tim ______early before he reaches 65. He mentioned it at the meeting recently.
3. 'I think I ______home across the park.' ' That's a good idea.'
4. Next year, no doubt, more people ______the competition as the prize money increases.
5. 'Can we meet at 10.00 outside the station?' ' Okay. I ______you there.'
6. Don't sit on that bench, I ______it.
7. I'm not feeling well. In fact, I think I ______!
8. Closed over the New Year period. This office ______on 2nd january. ( sign on an office window )
9. I'm sure you ______a good time staying with Richard.
10. We ______with Tim tonight. He's asked us to be there at 7.00.
11. 'The 2.35 to Bristol ______from platform 5.' ( announcement at railway station )
12. I wouldn't walk across that old bridge if I were you. It looks like it ______.
13. I read in the paper that they ______the price of gas again.
14. Do you like my new solar watch? Here, I ______you how it works.
15. 'Dr Jackson isn't in his office at the moment.' ' In that case, I ______him at home.
These sentences refer to the future. Complete them with either going to or the present continuous, whichever is correct or more likely.
I can't go any further. I ______on that bench for a while. ( sit )
The game ______at two o'clock tomorrow. I hope you can be there. ( start )
The service here is very slow. I ______to the manager if we're not served soon. ( complain )
I have a right to be heard, and no-one ______me from putting my side of the argument. ( stop )
The two leaders ______for talks later this afternoon. ( meet )
The bank has announced that it ______its interest rates by one per cent from tomorrow. ( increase )
Are you ______my questions or not ? ( answer )
I have to get up early tomorrow. I ______a physics class at 8.00 in the morning. ( teach )
Before I apply for the job, I ______more information about it.
( get )
Brazil ______Colombia in today's final. ( play )
ANSWERS
I.
1. 'S GOING TO EXPLODE 2. 'S GOING TO RETIRE
3. 'LL WALK 4. WILL ENTER 5. 'LL SEE
6. 'M GOING TO PAINT 7. 'M GOING TO BE SICK
8. WILL REOPEN 9. 'LL HAVE 10. 'RE GOING TO EAT
11. WILL LEAVE 12. 'S GOING TO COLLAPSE
13. 'RE GOING TO INCREASE 14. 'LL SHOW
15. 'LL PHONE
II.
1. 'M GOING TO SIT 2. IS STARTING
3. 'M GOING TO COMPLAIN 4. IS GOING TO STOP
5. ARE MEETING 6. IS INCREASING
7. GOING TO ANSWER 8. 'M TEACHING
9. 'M GOING TO GET 10. ARE PLAYING
REPORTED STATEMENTS
USE
When we report what someone has said, we change the pronouns.
'I understand you',said Ann. = Ann said (that) she understood him.
When we report what someone said in the past, we have to change the tense in the Reported Speech.
FORM
Original tense and message / Reported SpeechPresent Simple:
'I need it.' / Past Simple:
He said he needed it.
Present Continuous:
'He's sleeping.' / Past Continuous:
They said he was sleeping.
Present Perfect:
'She's gone out.' / Past Perfect:
He said she had gone out.
Present Perfect Continuous:
'It's been working OK.' / Past Perfect Continuous:
He said it had been working OK.
Past Simple:
'He won.' / Past Perfect:
She said he had won.
Past Continuous:
'He was snoring.' / Past Perfect Continuous:
She said he had been snoring.
Will:
'I'll do it.' / Would:
She said she would do it.
Be going to:
'She's going to be late.' / Was/were going to:
He said she was going to be late.
First Conditional:
'We'll go there if you want us to.' / Second Conditional:
They said they would go there if he wanted them to.
Note that the Past Perfect, and the Second and Third Conditionals don't change in the Reported Speech.
We usually change time and place expressions in the Reported Speech:
now = then; today = on that day; yesterday = the day before; last week = the week before/the previous week; tomorrow = the next day/the following day;
at that time, at the moment = at that moment; here = there
REPORTED REQUESTS AND ORDERS
When we report a request or command, we often use the pattern ask / tell / order someone + infinitive:
The teacher asked the students to close their books.
When the request or command is negative, we use the pattern ask / tell / order someone not + infinitive:
The doctor told them not to worry.
REPORTED QUESTIONS
In reported questions we use ask, want to know + when, where, how, what, etc. We use the same word order as in statements:
'Where do you come from?' = She asked me where I came from.
If there is no question word, we add if or whether.
'Do you speak French?' = He wanted to know if/ whether I spoke French.
Turn the following into Reported Speech.
1. 'It's time they moved to a new house', Ann said.
2. ' I was reading the children a story last night when the lights went out,' she said.
3. ' I'll help you to repair your car tomorrow,' he said to me.
4. ' You can come to me if you have any problems', she said to me.
5. ' I saw the film you recommanded last night', he said to her.
6. 'Where have you been?', he said to me.
7. 'Did you pay the electricity bill?', he said to his wife.
8. 'What size shoes do you take?', the shop assistant said to him.
9. 'Go to your room and stay there!',said his father.
10. ' Don't walk on the grass!' the park attendant said to us.
ANSWERS
1. Ann said it was time they moved to a new house.( reported unreal past- the tense remains unchanged )
2. She said she was reading / had been reading the children a story the night before when the lights went out. ( sentence which contains a time clause )
3. He told me he would help me to repair my car the following day.
4. She told him he could go to her if he had any problem.
5. He told her he had seen the film she had recommanded the night before.
6. He asked me where I had been.
7. He asked his wife if she paid/ had paid the electricity bill.
8. The shop assistant asked him what size shoes he took.
9. His father told him to go to his room and stay there.
10. The park attendant told us not to walk on the grass.
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