lecture 12 means of exeressing future time

1Lecture12MeansofExpressingFutureTime2ThereareanumberofconstructionsthatcanbeusedtodenotefuturityinEnglish.Thepresentlecturewilldealwiththesefutureexpressions.312.1constructionsdenotingfuturetimeInEnglish,futuretimeisexpressedbymeansofmodalauxiliaries,bysemi-auxiliaries,orbythesimplepresentandpresentprogressiveforms.4Constructionsdenotingfuturetime:1.Will/shall+infinitive2.Will/shall+progressive/perfectiveinfinitive3.Begoingto+infinitive4.Presentprogressive5.Beto+infinitive6.Simplepresent51)will/shall+infinitiveThefuturemeaningsareveryoftencoloredbymodalmeaningsfrompredictiontointentionandvolition.E.g.Ifthecropsfail,therewillbeafamine.(prediction)Iwilldoit,ifyoulike.(intention)WhatshallIdowithyourmail?(volition)62)Will/shall+progressive/perfectiveinfinitiveIfwewanttoexpressapurefuture,wecanuse“will+progressiveinfinitive”.Thisusuallyimpliesanactionwhichwilloccurinthenormalcourseofeventswithoutanyhumaninvolvement.E.g.Thetrainwillbearrivingattwoo’clock.7Thisconstructioncanalsobeusedtodenoteanactionthatisstillgoingonatagivingfuturetime.E.g.I’llbeworkingatGenevaduringMay.8Ifwewanttoexpressanactionthathasjustfinishedbeforeagivenfuturetime,wecanusetheconstructionof“will/shall+perfectiveinfinitive”.E.g.I’llhavefinishedmyworkbyfivethisafternoon.9Ifanactionhasextendedforaspecifiedlengthoftimebeforeagivenfuturemomentandpossiblycontinuesatthatmoment,wecanusetheconstructionof“will/shall+perfectiveprogressiveinfinitive”.E.g.BytheendofnextmonthIshallhavebeenworkingherefor20yearsexactly.10Intheabovementionedconstructions,will/shallarestillmodalauxiliariesbecauseevenintheseconstructionswillmayexpressthespeaker’sassumptionsaboutapresenthappeningorevenapasteventthathavenothingtodowithfuturetimeatall.E.g.It’salreadysixo’clock.Hewon’tbeworkingnow.113)Begoingto+infinitiveThisconstructionisusuallyusedtoexpresstwomeanings:intentionandprediction.121.Inthefirstuse,thebegoingtoformimpliesanintentionofdoingsomethinginthenearfuture.Thedoeroftheintendedactionisgenerallythesubjectofthesentence,butinsomecontextsmayalsobeimpliedorrealizedbyadifferentelementinthesentence.13Compare:Heisgoingtobeadoctorwhenhegrowsup.He’snotgoingtocheatmeagain.(=Iwon’tlethimcheatmeagain.)14“will+infinitive”“begoingto+infinitive”Thechiefdifferenceisthatthebegoingtoformalwaysimpliesapremeditatedintention,whilethewillformimpliesintentionalonewhichisusuallyunpremeditated.Compare:Whyareyoutakingdownallthepictures?I’mgoingtorepapertheroom.Whataterriblyheavybox!I’llhelpyoutocarryit.152.Initsseconduse,begoingtocanexpressthespeaker’sfeelingofcertainty.Theactionisexpectedtohappeninthenearorimmediatefuture.E.g.Lookattheseblackclouds—there’sgoingtobeastorm.16“will+infinitive”“begoingto+infinitive”Thedifferencebetweentheminexpressingpredictionliesinthefactthatthebegoingtoformimpliesthattherearesignsthatsomethingwillhappen,whilethewillformimplieswhatthespeakerthinksorbelieveswillhappen.174)PresentprogressiveItsbasicmeaningisanactionthatwillhappeninthenearfutureaccordingtoapresentarrangement,plan,orprogram.Asafutureform,thepresentprogressiveiswidelyusedwithverbsofmovementsuchasgo,come,leave,start,arrive,etc.E.g.WeareleavingonFriday.18Thebegoingtoandthepresentprogressiveformsaresometimesinterchangeableforfuturereference.Whenitcomestotheverbsgoandcome,wegenerallyusethepresentprogressiveinsteadofthebegoingtoform.E.g.Wearegoingtoaconcerttonight.195)Beto+infinitive1.Thisconstructioncandenoteafuturehappeningbasedonapresentplanoranarrangement.There’stobeaninvestigation.Thisconstructionisverymuchusedinnewspapers,andinheadlineswiththeverbbeoftenomittedtosavespace.TheQueenistovisitChinanextyear.202.Anotheruseofthisconstructionistoconveyorders,instructions,orprohibitions;itcanalsoconnotepossibilityordestiny.E.g.Youaretostandhere.Doyouunderstand?216)SimplepresentThefutureuseofthesimplepresentismorefrequentindependent,especiallyconditionalandtemporal,clauses.E.g.Ifshecomes,I’lltellherallaboutit.22Inmainclauses,thesimplepresentreferstoanimmutablefutureeventpredeterminedbyatimetableoraschedulewhichisverydefiniteandunalterable.E.g.Sheretiresnextmonth.2312.2meansofexpressingpastfutureIfthespeakerreferstoafutureeventfromaviewpointinthepast,thatispastfuture.Mostofthefutureconstructionjustdiscussedcanbeusedinthepasttensetorefertopastfutureevents.24Meansofexpressingpastfuture:1.Would+infinitive2.Was/weregoingto+infinitive3.Was/wereto+infinitive4.Pastprogressiveandsimplepast5.Was/wereaboutto+infinitive251)Would+infinitiveForpastfuturereference,themodalauxiliaryconstructionwithwouldisusuallyaccompaniedbyanadverbialdenotingfuturetimeinthepast.Thisconstructioniscommonlyusedindependentclauses.E.g.Hesaidhewouldcomebackthenextday.26Ifanactionstillcontinuesatagivenfuturetimeinthepast,wecanuse“would+progressiveinfinitive”.E.g.Heneverimaginedthatsomedayhewouldbelivingawayfromhismotherland.27Ifanactionhasfinishedbeforeagivenfuturetimeinthepast,wecanuse“would+perfectiveinfinitive”.E.g.Hesaidhewouldhavefinishedhisthesesbytheendofnextmonth.28Ifanactionhasextendedforaspecifiedlengthoftimeuptoagivenfuturetime