subordinate clause
- In a complex
sentence, the clause that cannot exist alone, without the main clause.
verb tense - The form of the verb, such as simple past tense, simple present tense, present continuous
tense, present perfect tense, present perfect continuous tense, and so on
time reference - In English,
the time reference indicates the past, the present, and/or the future. For
example, the "present continuous tense" may actually refer to a future
time.
simple sentence
- a sentence with one main clause
complex sentence - a sentence with - 1) a main clause
and 2) a dependent clause.
Boston
I'm Going
How to Use Present Continuous Tense
to Indicate Future Time
Hello! I'm Jane Hanser and this
is the ESL HELP! Desk, your first stop for fun help with English grammar and
communication. At the ESL Help Desk, all of our examples and activities are based on
authentic language, either written or spoken by others learners of English
and native speakers.
The ESL HELP! Desk would like to remind you to share your questions and comments
about English with us. We love to hear your suggestions about future podcasts.
This week we are going to take a trip
into the world of grammar. We are going to discuss an area of confusion
for many: The use of the present continuous (also known as present
progressive) tense to indicate future time.
You are going to hear a sentence. We
would like you to tell us what its time reference is - past, present, or
future, and to write your answer in the box below:
I am traveling to New York.
Join us now for our lesson.
We often use the present continuous
tense to indicate a future time reference.
Part 1
We can use the present continuous tense in
a simple sentence
when
the future time reference is made clear by the
context
, which is
often established by the use of a time word.
tomorrow, tomorrow night, next week,
next year, later, later on, etc.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
What
are you doing
next week
?
I'm traveling to New York.
How
are you getting
there?
I'm taking
the train and my husband
is flying
.
We're meeting
our friends there. Then
we're both
taking
the train
back together.
Why
is he
flying
?
He's coming
from Washington DC and
we'll be meeting in
the City. Then
we're
both
flying
home together.
Would you like to go get some coffee nearby? I'm feeling
hungry. My stomach
is growling.
Right now? Hmmm, yes.
Sounds good!
*************************
As you can see in the dialogue above,
the time reference reverted to the present by the change in topic and the
use of the word "now".
Part 2
We use the present continuous tense in
a
complex sentence
when the subordinate clause begins with
whenand the whole sentence
refers to the future.
When my daughter
grows up
,
I’m going to bring
her to Vienna
and show
her the city
where she was born.
When my daughter
grows up
, I
’m bringing
her to Vienna
and showing
her the city where she was born.
So what's the answer to the question
we asked you in the beginning? ("I am traveling to New York.")
The
answer is - I don't know - because I would need to hear the conversation and
context in which this sentence was spoken. It could be either present or future time
reference, depending on the context.
We are now going to conclude our podcast for this week. If you have any questions or comments, be
sure to send us a message by leaving a comment on
our blog.
The ESL Help! Desk
Music Copyright,
permission of Luca De Bernardi Photo of Headphones Copyright Karl-Erik Bennion
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Welcome to
What
are you doing
next week
?
