Going to for future

Question

Hi Everyone,I know the form for the simple future when using 'going to' is subject + going to + base verb.However, here is a sentence that I would like to confirm is the simple future, despite we have a noun instead of a base verb, thus breaking the form.'We are going to Denmark next year.'How would you explain this to a student?ThanksCC

Teechr · Accepted Answer

Cup cake'We are going to Denmark next year.'

This is the present continuous. It is used here to talk about a future plan.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/present-tense/present-continuous

Fivejedjon · Answer

BE going to is one way of expressing the future. It is not the 'simple future'.

Your sentence uses the present progressive (of GO) for a future situation. It is not the 'simple future'.

BE going to and the present progressive are two different ways of expressing futurity.

(Cross-posted)

Fivejedjon · Answer

Two of the ways of expressing futurity:

1. the present progressive (also known as the present continuous)

This form usually refers to a situation that began before the moment of speaking, continues at or around, and after, the present moment, and into the future, and is of limited duration:

I am writing these notes on the future. (At this moment).
Lindsay is driving to work this week. (She normally goes by bus).

The present progressive can refer to a future situation that has been arranged before the present time. The arrangement continues through the present until the situation occurs:

Emma is seeing Luke tomorrow, (They arranged this meeting yesterday)

Note that only the context or co-text (in the last example the word tomorrow) can tell us which time-period a present progressive verb form refers to.
Also note that it is simply not possible to make arrangements for some future situations. It is therefore not normally possible to say ~~It is raining tomorrow~~.

2. BE + going to

Although you may hear or read that this form indicates ‘present intention’, this is not always true. It is hard to imagine any intention in this sentence: “Look at those black clouds; it is going to rain soon.”

BE + going to refers to a future situation for which there is present evidence. In the previous example, the present evidence is the black clouds. In the following example, the present evidence may simply be the speaker’s knowledge that Emma and Luke have arranged the meeting:

Emma is going to see Luke tomorrow.

When the present evidence is an arrangement, then there is, practically speaking, no real difference in meaning between the present progressive and BE + going to.

There is more on ways of expressing the future here: https://gramorak.wordpress.com/

Cup cake · Answer

OMG...Yes!

I can see this as clear as mud now.

I've been working on 'going to..' for the simple future today.

Thanks for reminding me teacher.

Cup cake · Answer

Thank you for such a wonderful detailed answer fivejedjon.

Thanks for the link too.

You know, the future isn't THAT easy to teach in all honesty. There are so many ways of expressing it other than the simple aspect.

Fivejedjon · Answer

I am sure that other languages, even those with a future tense, have more than one way of expressing the future. I know that French and German do.

It is not difficult to help learners master these so long as they are not led to believe that there is only one correct way of expressing the future in any given situation. This is simply not true. And will the 'true/simple/neutral' future tense leads learners to believe it is the most common/natural way. It isn't.

Clive · Answer

You might also consider teaching the sentence
We are going to go to Denmark next year.

This combines the future sense of be going to with the movement sense of go to.

Cup cake · Answer

Yes, good idea. Thanks Clive. <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/91.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/91.gif' alt='Emotion: mmm'/>

Going to for future

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