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Jade
Future in English: present simple and continuous with future meaning
Hello:)
I was wondering what to choose between the present simple and the present continuous in these sentences with future meaning:
1. We have/we are having a meeting with the surgeon tomorrow morning.
2. We leave/are leaving from here at 7 in the morning and arrive/are arriving at the hospital at 9.
Thanks :)
5 apr 2020 20:33
Risposte · 4
We use the Present Continuous for future actions which I have already decided and scheduled with certainty. So you can use Present Continuous in example 1 and 2.
We use the Present Simple for future actions which are scheduled and decided by someone else, or follow a timetable. For example we say "my train leaves at 7am", not "my train is leaving at 7am", because the train timetable was NOT my decision. Other examples: "the film starts at 8" and "next semester finishes in October".
So, if you are taking a train or other timetabled public transport, I would use the present simple in sentence 2. If you are driving yourself, I would use the Present Continuous.
6 aprile 2020
I recommend English Grammar in Use by Murphy for basic grammar topics. The various ways to express the future are covered in units 19-22.
For careful English, the present progressive can express a scheduled future event that is not a regular event. For example: “I am taking my brother to the train station tomorrow morning at 6:30.”
The simple present can express a scheduled event for transportation. For example: “My brother’s train leaves tomorrow morning at 7.”
Of course, English Grammar in Use provides more details.
Here is a useful summary of about 10 ways to express future actions:
https://www.ef.com/ca/english-resources/english-grammar/future/
[excerpt]
Arrangements: I'm meeting Jim at the airport.
Time-tabled events: The plane takes off at 3 a.m.
6 aprile 2020
Thanks;)
5 aprile 2020
In the first sentence, both options are equally valid. This is maybe a slight difference in nuance, but they are basically interchangable. In the second sentence, I would say leave/are leaving are interchangeable and arrive is (slightly) preferable to are arriving. Hope that is helpful.
5 aprile 2020
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Jade
Competenze linguistiche
Inglese, Francese, Italiano, Norvegese, Svedese, Turco
Lingua di apprendimento
Inglese, Norvegese, Svedese, Turco
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