Re: Exercise on future 2

MrPedantic — Tue, 15 Feb 2005 23:22:26 GMT

Hello again Hela

Would you please explain to me your use of the future progressive in the 3 cases here?

Well...this falls firmly within the category of 'post facto rationalization', but:

It seems to me that the future progressive is used for events whose precise time we do not know, or do not care to express, e.g.

1. 'Thank you very much for coming to the interview, Ms Hela. We'll be contacting all the candidates next week...' [Deliberately vague.]

2. 'Uncle Frank will be arriving some time next week, so we'd better tidy up the spare room.' [Uncle Frank still hasn't told us when he's arriving.]

3. 'Will you be wanting anything else?' [Someone in a 'service industry' to a customer: vagueness = deference.]

It also seems to be used for events where we do know the precise time, but which have a continuous connection with the present:

4. 'We'll be opening our new office in Roissy-en-Brie next year.' [Preparations are already being made.]

5. 'Fine, I'll see you in Starbucks in 10 minutes. I'll be sitting upstairs as usual.' [They're both on their way.]

Compare:

1a. 'Thank you very much for coming to the interview, Ms Hela. We'll contact you next week.' [Startlingly direct â you've got the job.]

2a. 'Uncle Frank will arrive some time next week, so we'd better tidy up the spare room.' [A slight air of firmness: there is no doubt that the spare room is about to be tidied.]

3a. 'Do you want anything else?' [Someone in a 'service industry' to a customer: directness = rudeness.]

4a. 'We will open our new office in Roissy-en-Brie next year.' [And that's final. No argument.]

5a. 'Till Friday, then, my friend...We shall meet at our little cafÃ©, in the Place de la VendÃ´me, just as we used to do...And I shall sit in the window, in my usual place...' [Elderly, rather over-powdered lady, on the phone to her old admirer. She often says 'whom', has a Pekingese, and is probably played by Audrey Hepburn.]

That said, sometimes (as in some of these examples) a simple present or present progressive works too. So I'd be interested in any second opinions.

See you,
MrP

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Re: Exercise on future 2