Dave
11 lug 20214 min
Aggiornato il: 9 feb 2022
going to; future in the past; present tenses after time conjunctions; future perfect; to be about to
You are going to hear a man called Simon Trite talking to a group of people on the remote and uninhabited island of Wildrock in the North Atlantic.
They went there as an experiment in survival. Simon has just come to the island.
Before you listen, look at the picture and answer these questions.
Why do you think Simon has come to the island?
What do you think it is like to live on this island?
Listen and check if you were right. Repeat the listening if you need to.
How long were they going to stay on Wildrock? for at least a year
Why are the people going to leave Wildrock?
When are they going to leave?
By the end of this week, what will they have achieved?
By the end of this week, how long will they have been living on Wildrock?
When are they going to eat a big hot meal?
Who is going to stay on the island? Why?
Look at and answer these questions.
Which questions refer only to the future?
Which question is about old plans which have been changed?
Which questions are about actions which are incomplete now but will be complete at some future time?
It is often possible to use going to to express the future instead of the present continuous or will (➢ see Lesson Future 1 - B2).
Going to is used extremely often in everyday speech. In formal and written English, will and the present tenses are generally used more often than going to.
for future actions which we have already decided about.
Compare:
We’re going to pack up our stuff, we’re going to send a message to the mainland and we’re going to leave. (= the speaker is saying they already have a clear plan)
Oh dear! We can’t get everything in the boat. We’ll leave this stuff behind. (= the speaker decides at that moment)
(➢ see Lesson Future 1 - B2)
I’m going to buy a new phone at the weekend because I lost my old one last week and nobody’s found it.
(= the speaker has decided to replace his phone because he doesn’t expect it to be found)
Look at this phone – it’s really cheap. I think I’ll buy it.
(= the speaker has just seen this phone and is making the decision as he speaks)
to predict something, when we already see evidence for our prediction:
It’s going to rain soon.
(= the speaker knows it’s going to rain because he can see the clouds)
I’m going to enjoy this meal.
(= the speaker can see some delicious food on her plate)
There are many situations when either going to or will can be used for predictions with no real difference in meaning.
Pronunciation note: going to is often pronounced gonna. You may see it spelt this way in comic books and pop songs.
It’s going to be a great day today.
= It’s gonna be a great day today.
to talk about something which was planned but did not or will not happen:
You were going to stay here for at least a year.
(= but now you have changed your mind)
●
to show that we don’t mind changing our plans:
Ben: Are you busy this evening?
Jim: Well, I was going to watch a film.
(= Jim may forget about the film if Ben suggests a more exciting idea)
In clauses referring to future time and beginning with when, until, before, after and as soon as we use:
a present tense (for actions at the same time as the other verb or following the other verb):
Everyone’s going to be very surprised when you arrive.
Will you phone me before you go on holiday?
the present perfect (for actions completed before the other verb):
And we’re not going to talk to any reporters until we’ve had a long sleep.
I’m going to have a shower after I’ve answered these emails.
Sometimes we can use either a present or present perfect tense with the same meaning:
We’re going to eat a big hot meal as soon as we find a restaurant.
We’re going to eat a big hot meal as soon as we’ve found a restaurant.
We use the future perfect simple to say that an action will be complete before a point of time in the future.
It is usual to mention the point in time:
By the end of this week we’ll have survived longer than anyone else.
I’ll have cycled twelve kilometres by lunchtime.
This time next year, she’ll have finished university.
You’ll soon have earned enough to replace your phone.
to emphasise how long an action will have lasted at a point in the future.
It is usually necessary to mention the point of time and the length of time:
By the end of this week, we’ll have been living here for six months.
I’ll have been cycling for three hours by lunchtime.
State verbs are not used in the future perfect continuous.
By the end of this week, we’ll have been living here for six months.
I’ll have been cycling for three hours by lunchtime.
to talk about something which is going to happen almost immediately and for which we are already prepared:
Actually, we’re about to leave.
I need to talk to you but if you’re about to start dinner, I can phone again later.
In informal language, the negative often means ‘do not intend to’ do something:
We aren’t about to change the rules just because you don’t like them.
(= we refuse to change the rules just because you don’t like them)
Barbara wants me to go sky-diving with her, but I’m not about to do that!