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Spocik Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

Future or present?

0 I have some problems with classifying this clause to future or present time. Please help me.02br
02br
00This clause:02br
00I'm eating at the cafeteria with Cindy. Do you want to join us?02br
02br
00|in the future| or |now|? 0-
  

Top answer

0 01blockquote 01cite 10Spocik12cite 10I have some problems with classifying this clause to future or present time. Please help me. This clause: I'm eating at the cafeteria with Cindy.

  • 0 01blockquote 01cite 10Spocik12cite 10I have some problems with classifying this clause to future or present time.
  • Please help me.
  • This clause: I'm eating at the cafeteria with Cindy.
  • Do you want to join us?
  • 12blockquote 10I'm eating at the cafeteria with Cindy.
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10 Answers
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10Spocik12cite10I have some problems with classifying this clause to future or present time. Please help me. This clause: I'm eating at the cafeteria with Cindy. Do you want to join us? |in the future| or |now|?12blockquote
10I'm eating at the cafeteria with Cindy. 01font00Do00
0
0You have to add an adverbial modifier of time to the sentense in order to speak about the future (to be more clear).02br
02br
00For example:02br
00I'm having launch with Cindy at 2 p.m. Would you like to join us?02br
00He's coming tomorrow evening.0-
0
0 «Do you want to jouin us?»02br
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00Although the possible (he can both accept and reject the proposal) action of joining is located in the future, questioned is the desire to join, which is in the present.02br
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00«Do you want to join us now?»02br
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00«I want to buy a loudspeaker now. So, I guess, I'll buy one next month.» 0
0
0 We can't change the context to justify the statement we want to make. The question was based on the context as written. When you add adverbial phrases, you change the question. The key words are " I am eating in a restaurant with Cindy", which is saying [now]. 0-
0
0It can be future too, though, in answer to a question like "What are you doing for lunch?" - Here the context is clear that lunch is still in the future - maybe only five minutes in the future, but you are still not engaged in the process already. 0-
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0 I just want to sjow the difference between the desire to join and the action of joining. The former is in present and the latter's in future.02br
02br
00So, the sentence's tense is present because it asks about a present desire, not a future action.02br
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00I didn't change the context, I just cited some examples... 0-
0
0 Yeah, seems I didn't get the question right...02br
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00Let's consider the following modification:02br
00«Tonight I'm eating at the cafeteria with Cindy. Do you want to join us?»02br
02br
00So, the action of having dinner in the cafeteria is in the future.02br
02br
00But in the original sentence it can be both present or
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0Hi Ant22,02br
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00When we add the time related phrases, we are changing the tense. If we say "we are having breakfast with Cindy this morning", then [this morning] infers to the future. 00 00The verb in the main sentence dictates the tense.00 02br
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00If we change the sentence to “ we had breakfast this morning with Cindy” then the follo
0
0 Okay, I get it.02br
00Thank you all for helpful replies! 0-
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10Spocik12cite10I have some problems with classifying this clause to future or present time. Please help me. This clause: 12br
12br
10 I'm eating at the cafeteria with Cindy. Do you want to join us? 12br
12br
10 |in the future| or |now|?12blockquote
12br
01

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