Could you correct or confirm the questions based on the text? (9-1b)

Question

Hi teachers,Could you correct or confirm the questions based on the text?Fred is talking with a woman, and they seem to be having a great time talking and drinking beer. The situation is going to change completely as soon as Fred’s wife says something to him, don’t you think?1. Are Fred and a woman having a pleasurable time?2. What are Fred and a woman doing?3. When are the circumstances going to become different?Thanks in advance.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

1. Are Fred and the woman having a pleasant time?
2. What are Fred and the woman doing?
3. When will the circumstances become different?

Tenacious Learner · Answer

Mister Micawber3. When will the circumstances become different?

Hi Mister Micawber,
Thank you so much for your reply.
What is the reason for using 'will' for that one instead of 'be going to'?

TS

Mister Micawber · Answer

So that it's different from the text.

Tenacious Learner · Answer

Mister MicawberSo that it's different from the text.

Hi Mister Micawber,
Thank you for your reply. So in this case they are interchangeable, aren't they?
These two, 'will' and 'be going to' always drive me crazy.

Even though I have a few rules for them quite clear, I think.

TS

Mister Micawber · Answer

Well, I don't think the 'rules' are clear at all, and I don't think they are followed very closely by native speakers.  Linguists have observed that 'will' often suggests 'a future fact inferred from present knowledge' while 'be going to' suggests a 'conceived plan or intention'...and then go on to cite as natural "It's going to rain tomorrow".  The fact is that the two future forms overlap heavily in use, with 'be going to' less formal if anything.

Tenacious Learner · Answer

Hi Mister Micawber,
Thank you for your reply.
So, these rules that I took from a few books, generally speaking, are wrong then:

1)	BE GOING TO Plans for the future decided in the past
	We use “be going to” to express a future plan that has been decided by the subject in the past. There is a previous plan.
	Situation:	Henry and Kate are in a restaurant.
	Henry:	Kate, I am going to New York next Monday morning.
2)	WILL Plans for the future decided at the moment of speaking
	We use “will” to express a future plan decided by the subject now, at the moment of speaking. There is no previous plan.
	Situation:	Sharon and Robert are talking on the phone.
	Robert:	I’m going toWilton next weekend.
	Sharon:	I will go with you Robert.
3)	BE GOING TO Predictions for the future based on visual evidence or on previous information
	We use “be going to” to express a prediction, often about the near future, based on the subject’s visual evidence or on previous information.
	Situation:	Mrs. Anderson and Robert are at home.
	Mrs. Anderson:	Robert hurry up, it’s 8:45! You are going to be late at work again.
4)	WILL Predictions for the future based on speculations
	We use “will” to express a prediction based on what the subject thinks or imagines, based on a speculation. There is no visual evidence for the prediction or previous information.
	Situation:	Mr. Landon and Kate are in the bookstore.
	Mr. Landon:	Maybe Robert will change in the next years, Kate.
5)	WILL Promises for the future
	We use “will” to express a promise decided by the subject, normally “I”, for the future.
	Situation:	Kate is with Henry in his car.
	Kate:	I will always love you Henry.

Mister Micawber · Answer

Those are all nice classifications by linguists who long to categorize, and since modern linguists are generally observant, many uses do follow those observations. The truth is, however, that there is a not a native speaker in the land that stops to analyze which future form s/he will use, and s/he is liable to come out with almost any of them.

You know, I presume, that what you have posted is only a fraction of the future forms that have been neatly classified. In addition to will do and be going to, we also have present simple, present continuous, be to, and future continous as future forms:

I'm going to quit tomorrow.
I'm quitting tomorrow.
I quit tomorrow.
I am to quit tomorrow.
I'll quit tomorrow.
I'll be quitting tomorrow.
I'm going to be quitting tomorrow.

Tenacious Learner · Answer

Mister MicawberYou know, I presume, that what you have posted is only a fraction of the future forms that have been neatly classified. In addition to will do and be going to, we also have present simple, present continuous, be to, and future continous as future forms:

Hi Mister Micawber,
Thank you for your commentaries and examples about it.

Yes, you are right, I only posted some of them.

TS

Could you correct or confirm the questions based on the text? (9-1b)

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