ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Future tenses

PhillipK — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:23:35 GMT

Thanks CB. Well the answer is yes and no. It was not intended as PhilipKing but my last name is KÃ¶nig (=king in German - although I am not one and I don't even speak German I suppose I have/had relatives of German origin) so I don't want it to sound like I think of me as a king:))
take care

Re: Future tenses

MrPedantic — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:06:34 GMT

1. Julie is going to be 16 next week.
2. Julie will be 16 next week.

For some reason, to me, #1 has a slightly more excited air than #2. Thus (e.g.) I would expect to see #1 in a magazine with a readership of teenage girls, in a not very serious article; while #2 might turn up in a serious newspaper's item on teenage pregnancies.

(Not that I read the not very serious articles in magazines with a readership of teenage girls.)

MrP

Re: Future tenses

CalifJim — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:02:16 GMT

Both are possible in both cases.

Starting with the last one, I'll have it repaired reports a decision -- likely an on-the-spot decision; I'm going to have it repaired reports a plan. So I think you've got the basic idea on that one.

In the first case, no decision or plan is involved (obviously), so it's more a difference between a mathematically cold recital of the fact (will be 16) and a warmer, friendlier sharing of a fact (going to be 16).

Re: Future tenses

Cool Breeze — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:57:58 GMT

Hello PhillipK

Welcome! Does the K stand for "King"? All your sentences are correct. I can detect no actual difference in meaning between the last two. Or the first two either, for that matter.

Future tenses

PhillipK — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:14:54 GMT

Julie is going to be 16 next week. / Julie will be 16 next week.

> I think both are possible. But is there a difference in meaning?

__

When does it start? 17:00 but my car has broken down. I will have it repaired sometime next week./ I am going to have it repaired sometime next week.
> What do you think is correct? I think both again. The meaning is different,though. In the first sentence she/he has the car at a service department and is waiting, while in the second sentence she's planing on having it repaired.

What do you think? Thank you!