Future Actions and Events

Simple Future Simple Future has two different forms in English: "will" and "be going to." Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two very different meanings. These different meanings might seem too abstract at first, but with time and practice, the differences will become clear. Both "will" and "be going to" refer to a specific time in the future. FORM Will [will + verb] Examples: • You will help him later. • Will you help him later? • You will not help him later. FORM Be Going To [am/is/are + going to + verb] Examples: • You are going to meet Jane tonight. • Are you going to meet Jane tonight? • You are not going to meet Jane tonight. Complete List of Simple Future Forms USE 1 "Will" to Express a Voluntary Action "Will" often suggests that a speaker will do something voluntarily. A voluntary action is one the speaker offers to do for someone else. Often, we use "will" to respond to someone else's complaint or request for help. We also use "will" when we request that someone help us or volunteer to do something for us. Similarly, we use "will not" or "won't" when we refuse to voluntarily do something. Examples: • I will send you the information when I get it. • I will translate the email, so Mr. Smith can read it. • Will you help me move this heavy table? • Will you make dinner? • I will not do your homework for you. • I won't do all the housework myself! • A: I'm really hungry. B: I'll make some sandwiches. • A: I'm so tired. I'm about to fall asleep. B: I'll get you some coffee. • A: The phone is ringing. B: I'll get it. USE 2 "Will" to Express a Promise "Will" is usually used in promises. Examples: • I will call you when I arrive. • If I am elected President of the United States, I will make sure everyone has access to inexpensive health insurance. • I promise I will not tell him about the surprise party. • Don't worry, I'll be careful. • I won't tell anyone your secret. USE 3 "Be going to" to Express a Plan "Be going to" expresses that something is a plan. It expresses the idea that a person intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the plan is realistic or not. Examples: • He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii. • She is not going to spend her vacation in Hawaii. • A: When are we going to meet each other tonight? B: We are going to meet at 6 PM. • I'm going to be an actor when I grow up. • Michelle is going to begin medical school next year. • They are going to drive all the way to Alaska. • Who are you going to invite to the party? • A: Who is going to make John's birthday cake? B: Sue is going to make John's birthday cake. USE 4 "Will" or "Be Going to" to Express a Prediction Both "will" and "be going to" can express the idea of a general prediction about the future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. In "prediction" sentences, the subject usually has little control over the future and therefore USES 1-3 do not apply. In the following examples, there is no difference in meaning. Examples: • The year 2222 will be a very interesting year. • The year 2222 is going to be a very interesting year. • John Smith will be the next President. • John Smith is going to be the next President. • The movie "Zenith" will win several Academy Awards. • The movie "Zenith" is going to win several Academy Awards. IMPORTANT In the Simple Future, it is not always clear which USE the speaker has in mind. Often, there is more than one way to interpret a sentence's meaning. No Future in Time Clauses Like all future forms, the Simple Future cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Simple Future, Simple Present is used. Examples: • When you will arrive tonight, we will go out for dinner. Not Correct • When you arrive tonight, we will go out for dinner. Correct ADVERB PLACEMENT The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc. Examples: • You will never help him. • Will you ever help him? • You are never going to meet Jane. • Are you ever going to meet Jane? ACTIVE / PASSIVE Examples: • John will finish the work by 5:00 PM. ACTIVE • The work will be finished by 5:00 PM. PASSIVE • Sally is going to make a beautiful dinner tonight. ACTIVE • A beautiful dinner is going to be made by Sally tonight. PASSIVE Future Continuous Future Continuous has two different forms: "will be doing " and "be going to be doing." Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Continuous forms are usually interchangeable. FORM Future Continuous with "Will" [will be + present participle] Examples: • You will be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight. • Will you be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight? • You will not be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight. FORM Future Continuous with "Be Going To " [am/is/are + going to be + present participle] Examples: • You are going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight. • Are you going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight? • You are not going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight. REMEMBER: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Continuous with little difference in meaning. Complete List of Future Continuous Forms USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Future Use the Future Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the future will be interrupted by a shorter action in the future. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time. Examples: • I will be watching TV when she arrives tonight. • I will be waiting for you when your bus arrives. • I am going to be staying at the Madison Hotel, if anything happens and you need to contact me. • He will be studying at the library tonight, so he will not see Jennifer when she arrives. Notice in the examples above that the interruptions (marked in italics) are in Simple Present rather than Simple Future. This is because the interruptions are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses. USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption in the Future In USE 1, described above, the Future Continuous is interrupted by a short action in the future. In addition to using short actions as interruptions, you can also use a specific time as an interruption. Examples: • Tonight at 6 PM, I am going to be eating dinner. I WILL BE IN THE PROCESS OF EATING DINNER. • At midnight tonight, we will still be driving through the desert. WE WILL BE IN THE PROCESS OF DRIVING THROUGH THE DESERT. REMEMBER In the Simple Future, a specific time is used to show the time an action will begin or end. In the Future Continuous, a specific time interrupts the action. Examples: • Tonight at 6 PM, I am going to eat dinner. I AM GOING TO START EATING AT 6 PM. • Tonight at 6 PM, I am going to be eating dinner. I AM GOING TO START EARLIER AND I WILL BE IN THE PROCESS OF EATING DINNER AT 6 PM. USE 3 Parallel Actions in the Future When you use the Future Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions will be happening at the same time. The actions are parallel. Examples: • I am going to be studying and he is going to be making dinner. • Tonight, they will be eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time. • While Ellen is reading, Tim will be watching television. NOTICE "IS READING" BECAUSE OF THE TIME CLAUSE CONTAINING "WHILE." (SEE EXPLANATION BELOW) USE 4 Atmosphere in the Future In English, we often use a series of Parallel Actions to describe atmosphere at a specific point in the future. Example: • When I arrive at the party, everybody is going to be celebrating. Some will be dancing. Others are going to be talking. A few people will be eating pizza, and several people are going to be drinking beer. They always do the same thing. REMEMBER No Future in Time Clauses Like all future tenses, the Future Continuous cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Future Continuous, Present Continuous is used. Examples: • While I am going to be finishing my homework, she is going to make dinner. Not Correct • While I am finishing my homework, she is going to make dinner. Correct AND REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses. Instead of using Future Continuous with these verbs, you must use Simple Future. Examples: • Jane will be being at my house when you arrive. Not Correct • Jane will be at my house when you arrive. Correct ADVERB PLACEMENT The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc. Examples: • You will still be waiting for her when her plane arrives. • Will you still be waiting for her when her plane arrives? • You are still going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives. • Are you still going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives? ACTIVE / PASSIVE Examples: • At 8:00 PM tonight, John will be washing the dishes. ACTIVE • At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes will be being washed by John. PASSIVE • At 8:00 PM tonight, John is going to be washing the dishes. ACTIVE • At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes are going to be being washed by John. PASSIVE NOTE: Passive forms of the Future Continuous are not common. Future Perfect Future Perfect has two different forms: "will have done" and "be going to have done." Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Perfect forms are usually interchangeable. FORM Future Perfect with "Will" [will have + past participle] Examples: • You will have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S. • Will you have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.? • You will not have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S. FORM Future Perfect with "Be Going To" [am/is/are + going to have + past participle] Examples: • You are going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S. • Are you going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.? • You are not going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S. NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Perfect with little or no difference in meaning. Complete List of Future Perfect Forms USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Future The Future Perfect expresses the idea that something will occur before another action in the future. It can also show that something will happen before a specific time in the future. Examples: • By next November, I will have received my promotion. • By the time he gets home, she is going to have cleaned the entire house. • I am not going to have finished this test by 3 o'clock. • Will she have learned enough Chinese to communicate before she moves to Beijing? • Sam is probably going to have completed the proposal by the time he leaves this afternoon. • By the time I finish this course, I will have taken ten tests. • How many countries are you going to have visited by the time you turn 50? Notice in the examples above that the reference points (marked in italics) are in Simple Present rather than Simple Future. This is because the interruptions are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses. USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Future (Non-Continuous Verbs) With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Future Perfect to show that something will continue up until another action in the future. Examples: • I will have been in London for six months by the time I leave. • By Monday, Susan is going to have had my book for a week. Although the above use of Future Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs. REMEMBER No Future in Time Clauses Like all future forms, the Future Perfect cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Future Perfect, Present Perfect is used. Examples: • I am going to see a movie when I will have finished my homework. Not Correct • I am going to see a movie when I have finished my homework. Correct ADVERB PLACEMENT The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc. Examples: • You will only have learned a few words. • Will you only have learned a few words? • You are only going to have learned a few words. • Are you only going to have learned a few words? ACTIVE / PASSIVE Examples: • They will have completed the project before the deadline. ACTIVE • The project will have been completed before the deadline. PASSIVE • They are going to have completed the project before the deadline. ACTIVE • The project is going to have been completed before the deadline. PASSIVE Wishes and Regrets You can use this structure when you would like things to be different from the way they actually are. Use the verb wish to refer to how you would like things to be in the present or to talk about how you would like things to be in the future. It can also be used to talk about the way things were in the past, but obviously the past can't be changed. The general concept is sometimes known as 'wishful thinking' and often coincides with the use in Spanish of 'ojalá'. But if you want to say 'ojalá' and nothing else, say 'if only'. Wishes about the present (and the future) If you want to talk about your present situation, you can use the structure wish + past simple or continuous. For example: I haven't got any money. I wish I had some money. I don't earn much money. I wish I earned a lot of money. We're all living in a small flat. I wish we weren't living in a small flat. I wish we were living in a big flat. The same form can be used to talk about someone else's situation. However, there is another structure that you use to talk about actions that take place in the present, but you want them to change in the future. This structure is used to talk about another person, and generally about things you don't like. The structure is wish + would/could + infinitive. For example: Your friend is always borrowing money from you because he never seems to have his bank card with him. You could say to him: I wish you wouldn't keep borrowing money from me. I wish you would remember to go to the bank from time to time. Perhaps the same friend does lots of things that irritate you. Maybe he phones you early in the morning when you're still in bed. He might arrange to meet you and then turn up late. You could say to him: I wish you wouldn't phone me so early in the morning. I wish you would wait until later. I wish you would tell me when you're going to be late. Wishes about the future (and the present) When you talk about the future, you use the same structure as you use to talk about present states. Some examples: I have to go to the dentist tomorrow. I wish I didn't have to go to the dentist tomorrow. I'll have to do some extra work over the weekend. I wish I didn't have to do any extra work over the weekend. My brother is coming to stay with me next week. I wish my brother wasn't coming next week. The future in these cases can't be changed (in theory), and so the situation is seen as unreal and has to be referred to using past tenses. Wishes about the past: regrets When you think about a situation in the past, naturally you can't do anything to change it. Therefore this is a way of expressing regret. The structure you use is wish + past perfect. For example: You were too slow getting ready to go out. I wish you hadn't been so slow getting ready. Now we've missed the train. I wish we hadn't missed the train. I promised our friends we'd arrive on time. I wish I hadn't promised we'd arrive on time, because now they'll be waiting for us. Notes As mentioned above, the structure wish + would can't be used to talk about yourself. It is used to refer to actions, and you should be able to stop any action you're doing. Therefore when you talk about yourself, you're talking about states you have no control over (I'm poor, I wish I was rich) or other people's actions that you have no control over either (I haven't got any money. I wish you'd give me some). If your wish might come true, you should use a different type of verb. For example: I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. I'd like to go to the Caribbean for my holiday next year. I hope you get well soon. You don't need to repeat all the verbs all the time: My flat is cold. I wish it wasn't. You smoke. I wish you wouldn't. She told him! I wish she hadn't.

Frankenstein Visits our High School

Unstoppable rise of American English: Study shows young Britons copying US writing style

By Laura Clark, Education Correspondent

The future of written English will owe more to Hollywood films than Dickens or Shakespeare, if the findings of a study into children’s writing are anything to go by.

The analysis of 74,000 short stories found that their written work was littered with Americanisms, exclamation marks and references to celebrities.

Researchers who looked at the entries to a national competition found they were increasingly using American words such as garbage, trash can, sidewalk, candy, sneakers, soda, cranky and flashlight.

The stories, written by pupils aged seven to 13, show how fairy cakes are referred to as cupcakes and a dinner jacket has become a tuxedo.

‘Smart’ is now often used for ‘clever’ and ‘cranky’ for ‘irritable’.

Celebrity culture also has a powerful influence on children’s work, with Simon Cowell and Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi among the famous names cropping up repeatedly.

But pupils are let down by basic spelling, punctuation and grammar, according to the study by Oxford University Press, which looked at the entries to BBC Radio 2’s ‘500 Words’ competition.

Children stumbled over simple spellings such as ‘does’ and ‘clothes’ and struggled to use the past tense correctly, often saying ‘rised’ instead of ‘rose’ or ‘thinked’ instead of ‘thought’.

Researchers also found that punctuation was underused, especially semi-colons and speech marks. Some did not know how to use capital letters.

However, exclamation marks were overused. Researchers found 35,171 examples in total, with some young writers using five at a time.

The study of more than 31million words will be compared with future research to see how written language evolves.

Popular US fiction such as the Twilight vampire novels and films is thought to be fuelling the increasing use of American vocabulary and spelling.

Modern technology was also influential. Out of almost 300 references to ‘blackberry’, nearly half referred to mobile phones.

Characters frequently ‘googled’ for information or used ‘apps’.

But the researchers found a wealth of imaginative and inventive ideas.

Fears that texting was corrupting children’s written work were unfounded, they said, with youngsters only using text speak when they were referring to a text message.

Samantha Armstrong, of the OUP children’s dictionaries division, said: ‘Perhaps we are catching a glimpse of the language of the future.’ Chris Evans, whose radio show runs the competition, said the results were ‘fascinating’, adding: ‘Who’d have thought that Messi and Jeremy Clarkson would be some of the most used celebrity names?’

Fun interactive games for 1st and 2nd of ESO

 

Jack Andraka — 15-Year-Old Invents Cancer Test 100 Times More Sensitive & 28 Times Cheaper than Current Tests

Jack Andraka enjoys mountain biking, whitewater rafting, kayaking, and science. According to his Facebook page, he’s a fan of Beavis and Butthead, Family Guy and The Simpsons. Oh yeah—the 15-year-old also created a new diagnostic test for pancreatic cancer that is 28 times faster, 28 times less expensive and over 100 times more sensitive than the current diagnostic tests. And, in case that’s not impressive enough, the test also works for ovarian and lung cancer. His diagnostic test earned him first prize at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest pre-college science research competition (the photo is from the competition). I love Jack’s modesty. Interviewed before the fair, he said, “I’m incredibly excited. It’s like the Olympics of science fairs. It’s just amazing to be here—even if I don’t get a prize.” Well, Jack Andraka did win, receiving about $100,000 in prize money ($75,000 from the grand prize and over $25,000 from other smaller prizes). The high school freshman said he will put the money toward college tuition. After his uncle died of pancreatic cancer, Jack became interested in finding a better early-detection diagnostic test. Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer is usually detected too late to save the patient. Jack thought about the problem and came up with a plan and a budget. Jack contacted about 200 people at Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health about his plan. He got 197 rejection letters and then finally got an acceptance from Dr. Anirban Maitra, Professor of Pathology, Oncology and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. It’s at Maitra’s lab where Jack developed his test. Why did a 15-year-old beat out billion-dollar pharmaceutical companies with his diagnostic test? Perhaps as a young person with no experience, he hadn’t yet learned what everyone else in the industry “knew couldn’t be done.” Certainly, it was in no small part because Anirban Maitra gave him a chance. Not to mention that Jack had an idea and went out and gave it a try. Think about Jack Andraka the next time you hear that something can’t be done, someone asks you to help out with his project or you’re hesitating to give one of your ideas a shot. Also, keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need a giant team, billions of dollars in resources or even more than 15 years of life experience to do something amazing. The results of Jack’s diagnostic test were published on the Society for Science and the Public web site.

Aula Masificada

Golden Gate bridge celebrates 75th anniversary

San Francisco's Golden Gate bridge marks its 75th birthday this weekend with new night tours and a visitor centre that opened this month.

 

Miles de profesores protestan en las calles de Valencia y Alicante por segundo día consecutivo

Obama warns Merkel: back growth or risk recession

President Barack Obama is stepping up pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany at the G8 meeting in Camp David this weekend to back a package of euro-zone measures to stimulate jobs and growth and to loosen austerity measures in Europe or risk plunging the global economy – and America - back into recession. The summit comes at a key time for the President six months before Americans decide whether to return the him to the White House in an election that will be decided largely on whether his handling of economy - with its emphasis on stimulus spending, not austerity - is seen to be working. Mr Obama yesterday made clear his determination not to allow Europe to drag him down

Barack Obama "Sings" his Opinion about Education Cuts

Yo estudié en la pública

Dark Shadows

The Hunger Games

Are you past oriented or future oriented?

Did You Know?

One Moment Meditation

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

 

St. Patrick’s Day 2012 will soon be upon our global Irish Family and we welcome all those who become Irish on St Patrick’s Day. Every year Parades and events across the globe celebrate St. Patrick, Ireland, and a proud Irish history. Since 1997, http://stpatricksday.com/ has focused on one thing and all the things that go along with it: Saint Patrick, Saint Patricks Day, Ireland, the Irish and our History. Happy St Patrick’s Day from us to you!