| Will have to/am going to have to stick my head under the cold tap and have a rethink. |
|
I hope no one minds if I step back through the wormhole into the middle of last week (for a moment).
I'm finding it quite difficult to arrive at a working definition of the difference between future 'will' and future 'be going to'. As Paco has said elsewhere, context seems to make a great deal of difference; as do the various permutations of a) who is speaking b) who is the subject of 'be going to'.
Here are a few sentences, with my first impression of what the 'be going to' means in each case. I'd be particularly interested to hear if any of these interpretations seem wholly outlandish or insufficient to anyone:
1. If you’re going to be delayed, let me know → If, later, you think you’ll be delayed, let me know.
2. If you stroke that dog again, it’s going to bite you → If you stroke that dog again, it’ll bite you, as you should know.
3. If he isn’t going to come home with us, there’s no need to wait → If he doesn’t intend to to come home with us, there’s no need to wait.
Cf.
3a. If he won’t come home with us, there’s no need to wait → If he doesn’t want to come home with us, there’s no need to wait.
4. When I grow up, I’m going to be a train driver → I’ve decided to be a train driver, when I grow up.
5. Ask MrQ if he’s going to come out tonight → Ask MrQ if he intends to come out tonight.
6. If Snow White eats that apple, she’s going to die → If Snow White eats that apple, she‘ll certainly die.
7. If I catch you talking to my girlfriend again, there’s going to be trouble → I warn you, If I catch you talking to my girlfriend again, there’ll certainly be trouble.
8. If I catch you talking to my girlfriend again, you’re going to regret it. → I warn you, if I catch you talking to my girlfriend again, you will certainly regret it.
9. If he’s going to be rude about my girlfriend, I’m going to be rude about his → If he continues to be rude about my girlfriend, I’ll start being rude about his.
Cf.
9a. If he’s rude about my girlfriend, I’ll leave → If he starts to be rude about my girlfriend, I will certainly leave.
10. If we go on like this, we're going to lose all our money → As you should know, if we go on like this, we'll lose all our money.
11. You're going to knock that glass over if you're not more careful → As you should be aware, you will knock that glass over if you’re not more careful.
12. If you look carefully, you're going to find writing scratched on the glass → I assure you that if you look carefully, you'll find writing scratched on the glass.
13. If you move to your left, you're going to be able to see the church → I assure you that if you move to your left, you'll be able to see the church.
14. If you're ready, I'm going to show you how it works → You should be ready by now; but ready or not, I intend to show you how it works.
15. If you want to leave this afternoon, Joe is going to take you to the station → If you want to leave this afternoon, that’s just as well, because it has been arranged that Joe will take you to the station.
16. If we don't leave now, we’re going to miss our train → If we don't leave now, we’ll certainly miss our train.
17. If you heat water to 100C, it's going to boil. → If you heat water to 100C, of course it will boil.
18. If John comes, Mary is going to leave → If John comes, I assure you, Mary will leave.
That's it...
MrP