Future tense in English, some examples from BBC service.

A question from Yukiazb in Japan:

Dear Sir,

I'm a 63 year old man learning English in Japan. I'll be glad if you would let me know the differences in meaning of the following sentences: 

1) I'll see you tomorrow; 
2) I'm going to see you tomorrow; 
3) I'm seeing you tomorrow; 
4) I'll be seeing you tomorrow 

Listen to this here!

Well, thank you very much for this question and indeed, talking about the future in English is not straightforward, partly because we don't have one specific future tense. 

You have asked about four forms which are often confused - and they are often confused because they are, in fact, confusing! They are confusing because the differences between these forms are not fixed or absolute. Sometimes all four forms might be suitable for a situation. Today, I'll talk about each form individually. 

Now, remember that the context for these sentences seems to be social or work plans for tomorrow. 

The first example: 
'I'll see you tomorrow.' - This is 'will' + the infinitive. We use this form when we speak at the same time that we make a decision about the future plan. 

For example: 
'When can you give me an answer?' 
'Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Is that okay?' 

Now, the second example: 
'I'm going to see you tomorrow' - This is 'to be going to' + the infinitive. We use this form when we have made the decision and plan before we speak. We are telling someone what we have already decided or agreed to do. 

Look at these two examples to compare the first two forms: 

1. 'They say the weather will be nice tomorrow' 
'Really? Oh well, in that case, I think I'll go to the beach' 

2. 'They say the weather will be nice tomorrow' 
'I know - I checked the news yesterday. I'm going to go to the beach. Would you like to come?' 

So, you can see the difference between these two forms. In the first one, the decision is made at the time of speaking. In the second one, the decision was made earlier; the plan has been made. 

Now, the third form: 
'I'm seeing you tomorrow' - This is the present continuous with a future meaning. We use it to talk about definite plans and arrangements. Things have been decided already, and arrangements have been made. As you can see, this is very similar in use to 'to be going to'.

Importantly, we generally use the present continuous when we are thinking about a particular time in the future. And it is commonly used to talk about social plans and meetings. On a Friday at work, the most common question is probably: 

'What are you doing this weekend?' 

Finally, the last form: 
"I'll be seeing you tomorrow." - This is 'will' + the continuous infinitive. We use this form when we want to bring some of the meaning of the continuous form to our description of future events. 

The continuous form emphasises that an activity is happening at a certain time, and this activity lasts for a limited period of time. This meaning is now combined with one meaning of 'will' - namely that 'will' can describe future facts or predictions. 

So, if you want to describe a future event and you want to emphasis the activity that will take place over time of this event, you say: 

'At this time tomorrow, I'll be swimming in the sea. No more work for me - I'm on holiday!' 

I hope this helps you understand these four forms a little better. 
Remember that 'to be going to' and the present continuous both suggest that plans have been made already. 
'Will' is used for spontaneous decisions and 'will be doing' emphasises the action at a particular time in the future. 

Anyway, time to finish. I'm meeting my boss in an hour and I haven't read the report yet! 


from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1837_aae/page13.shtml

Irregular verbs rap

The microphone I 

TAKE (took, TAKen). You SHAKE (shook, SHAken). 

WAKE (woke, WOken) to the STYLE Im creAting. 

THINK (thought, THOUGHT). SEEK (sought, SOUGHT).

LISten to the LESson that I TEACH (taught, TAUGHT).

Dont SLEEP (slept, SLEPT). I CREEP (crept, CREPT). 

I SNEAK (snuck, SNUCK UP). You LEAP (leapt, LEAPT).

I KEEP (kept, KEPT) HAVing FUN. 

Im never BEAT (beat, BEAten); I WIN (won, WON).

DO (did, DONE). BeGIN (began, beGUN).

SHOOT (shot, SHOT)—no, I DONT own a GUN. 

I LEAD (led, LED) so I can FEED (fed, FED). 

the KNOWledge you NEED, STRAIGHT to your HEAD. 

When I BRING (brought, BROUGHT) it, you CATCH (caught, CAUGHT) it.

Sit BACKreLAX. Dont FIGHT (fought, FOUGHT) it.

Please don't

FREEZE (froze, FROzen) when I SPEAK (spoke, SPOken). 

Its REAL. You can FEEL I dont STEAL (stole, STOlen). 

I CHOOSE (chose, CHOsen) the VERy best RHYMES and

WRITE (wrote, WRITten) them INto my LINES and

INto your MIND. When we MEET (met, MET)

Ill BET (bet, BET) I wont LET you forGET 

(forGOTforGOTten). I GET (got, GOTten)

EVery head NODding. Dont THINK about STOPping

just COME (came, COME). 

THIS is hip hop. I dont SING (sang, SUNG).

I STING (stung, STUNG). I CLING (clung, CLUNG).

On EACH and every WORD, you HANG (hung, HUNG).

It's not enough to

DREAM (dreamt, DREAMT); youve got to SPEND (spent, SPENT)

TIME on your GOALS. Please LEND (lent, LENT) me your

EAR. Come NEAR and Ill LAY (laid, LAID)

DOWN this new SOUND that I MAKE (made, MADE). 

I HOPE you dont SAY that you THINK its JUNK.

I HOPE you dont THINK that I STINK (stank, STUNK).

If youre THIRSty for ENGlish, come DRINK (drank, DRUNK).

because I SINK (sank, SUNK) ALL compeTItion when they 

HEAR (heard, HEARD) that I GIVE (gave, GIVen)

encouragement when I SPIT (spat, SPAT).

Never QUIT (quit, QUIT); dont SIT (sat, SAT).

Yeah, I LIKE it like THAT. Ill even KNEEL (knelt, KNELT).

and BEG you to exPRESS what you FEEL (felt, FELT).

I RISE (rose, RISen) when I DRIVE (drove, DRIVen) through 

the BEAT; tap your FEET as you RIDE (rode, RIDden). 

Those that HIDE (hid, HIDden) I FIND (found, FOUND).

If you FLEE (fled, FLED) then Ill TRACK you DOWN.

Now you SEE (saw, SEEN) that I MEAN (meant, MEANT) 

every WORD of the MESsage that I SEND (sent, SENT). 

I SHOW (showed, SHOWN) I can FLY (flew, FLOWN).

Now you KNOW (knew, KNOWN) I SHINE (shone, SHONE).

Ill THROW (threw, THROWN) you the BALL. Its your TURN. 

GROW (grew, GROWN) with the VERBS that youve LEARNED. 

GRAMmar through LYRics I DRAW (drew, DRAWN). 

PEACE to elLS, now I GO (went, GONE)!

USED TO practice

exercise 1         

exercise 2           

exercise 3            

exercise 4

PART 1

VERB

I USED TO go on foot.

I DIDN'T USE TO drive a car.

DID YOU USE TO play games on your own?

PART 2

ADJECTIVE

I AM USED TO working hard.

I GOT USED TO sleeping less.

I AM GETTING USED TO living far from home.

exercise 1          exercise 2           exercise 3            exercise 4

Subject and object pronouns. (he vs. him)

try this on line exercise

English verbal tenses for BAT.

A Review of Verb Tense

The tense of a verb indicates the time of the action or state of being that is expressed by the verb. Each of the six tenses has a basic form. All basic forms are derived from the principal parts: present (base), present participle (be verb plus –ing), past (‐ed), and past participle (‐ed plus have, had, has). Using the correct tense of verbs when you speak and write is essential to understand in what time period actions took place.

There are four categories of verb tenses: simple, perfect, progressive, and perfect progressive,
with a version of the present, past, and future in each category. Each tense has its own meaning.
When the actions take place (completed, ongoing, continuing into the future, has yet to occur) determines which tense to use.

Simple Forms

Let’s start with the simple tenses.
Present
First is the present tense, which indicates actions or conditions occurring now. Present tense is often used to state general information as well as thoughts and opinions.
Ex. Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Ex. They are angry about the decision.
Past
Next is the past tense, which indicates actions or conditions that have occurred already and do not extend into the present.
Ex. She felt better after her test. Ex. Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.
Future
The last one of the simple tenses is the future that indicates actions that have yet to begin. To form the future tense, you will use will plus the base or the present principal part of the verb.
Ex. I will graduate the year after next.
Ex. The exhibition will come to Houston in September.

Exercise 1
Let’s test your knowledge of the information above before moving on.
In each blank below, write the tense of the verb in parenthesis.
1. She ____________ around the living room. (run‐present)
2. We ____________ our plans for the weekend. (discuss, past)
3. The boat ______________ as soon as the cargo of machinery is loaded. (sail, future)
4. Natasha __________ listening to music. (enjoy, past)
5. He ____________ musical comedies. (like‐present)
6. I __________ you my new leather jacket. (lend, future)
7. These arguments _________ you that I am right. (convince, future)
8. Although the car is old, it __________ well. (run‐present)
9. The shopper ____________ to see the manager. (ask, past)
10. The man in the corner ___________ lead guitar in the band. (play, present)

Exercise 2
Identify the tense of the underlined verb in each sentence.
1. She will attend a conference in Washington.
2. Barbara and Marie refused to sign the petition.
3. The dancers rehearse everyday.
4. Storytelling existed before written history.
5. Blue jays have many unusual habits.
6. A squirrel drops its nuts when it gets frightened.
7. A good story will have action and drama.
8. We spotted a bird with red wings and tail.
9. The animals’ unpleasant shrieks warn other animals of danger.
10. We will practice our math skills this year.

Perfect Forms

The next tenses to consider are the perfect tenses, which give information about the time frame of an action’s completion. The perfect tenses indicate the action of the verb has been completed by a specific point in the past, present, or future.

Present Perfect
The present perfect tense describes an event that has already been completed in the present. It is formed using have or has plus the past participle form of the verb (‐ed, ‐en).
Ex. I have walked to school for five years. Ex. Dad has written many stories of his childhood.
Past Perfect
The next tense is the past perfect, where the action was completed before a specified time in the past. To form the past perfect tense, you will use had plus the past participle form of the verb.
Ex. We had considered several alternative plans. Ex. Bill had finished packing before the taxi arrived.
Future Perfect
The last one of the perfect tenses is future perfect, which states that the action will have been completed by a specified time in the future. To form the future perfect tense, you need to use will have or shall have plus the past participle form of the verb.
Ex. In ten years the original investment will have doubled. Ex. The students will have used all their paper by December.

Exercise 3
Again, let’s test your knowledge before we move on. Underline the verb in each of the following sentences. Then identify the tense of each verb.
1. They had notified us of their arrival.
2. Our dogs have bitten no one.
3. The family will have finished dinner by seven.
4. We have seen that movie twice.
5. Tom will have departed before Brain’s arrival.
6. Janet has refused any credit for the team’s success.
7. By this evening, I will have cleaned the whole downstairs.
8. We had avoided each other for 20 years.
9. We had considered several alternate plans.
10. I have memorized two poems by Walt Whitman.

Exercise 4
Write the basic form of the verb as directed in parenthesis.
1. The Johnsons ________________ three times in the past year. (move‐present perfect) 
2. They _______ everything they wanted to by the end of their vacation. (see‐past perfect) 
3. By the end of their tour, the group ___________ in eleven cities. (perform‐future perfect) 
4. Sharon __________ to her counselor earlier in the day. (talk‐past perfect) 
5. We ________ very fond of our new neighbors. (grow‐present perfect) 
6. Margie ____________ before the spring semester. (graduate‐future perfect) 
7. We _______ three times this week. (exercise=present perfect) 
8. The manager ___________ to the pitcher twice by that time. (talk‐past perfect) 
9. I ________ the whole kitchen by the time Mom returns. (clean‐future perfect) 
10. The rescuers _____________ the area for the past three hours. (search‐present perfect)

Progressive Forms

The next set of tenses is known as the progressive forms, which means the action or conditions are unfinished (ongoing, continuing).
Present Progressive
Present progressive indicates actions are ongoing even as we speak. It is formed with the present participle with –ing plus is, am, or are.
Ex. The kids are playing outside. Ex. Sam is attending church.
Past Progressive
With the past progressive, the action was going on during a past period being discussed. It is formed with –ing (the present participle) plus was and were.
Ex. By the 1970s, many Americans were buying smaller cars. Ex. I was writing to you when you telephoned me.
Future Progressive
The last one of the progressive tenses is future progressive, which indicates that the action will be ongoing during some future time frame. To form the future progressive, you will use will be or shall be plus the present participle form of the verb (‐ing).
Ex. A team of observers will be monitoring the elections. Ex. Clarissa will be studying music at a special camp this summer.

Exercise 5
Supply the progressive form of the verb as directed in parenthesis.
1. Despite her height, Kate _________ to make the basketball team. (hope‐present progressive)
2. The rain ______________ all of our plans. (ruin‐present progressive)
3. The last ferry _______________ soon. (leave‐future progressive)
4. The workers _______________ the building. (repair‐future progressive)
5. The architect _______________ his plans. (explain‐present progressive)
6. They _________________ important political issues. (discuss‐present progressive)

Perfect Progressive Forms

There are also perfect progressive tenses that use a combination of perfect and progressive forms. Perfect progressive emphasizes the duration or the continuousness of the action. To write in the perfect progressive tense, you will use a form of have (perfect) followed by a be verb and –ing (progressive).

Present Perfect Progressive
The present perfect progressive describes something that began in the past, continues into the present, and may continue into the future. It is formed with has or have plus been and –ing form of the verb.
Ex. Kim has been writing a novel since she left high school. Ex. The Smiths have been breeding dogs since 2000.
Past Perfect Progressive
The past perfect progressive tense describes something that began in the past, continued in the past, and concluded in the past. It is formed with had and been plus the –ing form of the verb.
Ex. I had been riding the bus until I got my license. Ex. Frank had been leaving get well notes to his uncle.
Future Perfect Progressive
The future perfect progressive describes something that begins in the present and continues into the future. It is formed with will have and been plus the –ing form of the verb.
Ex. By the time the class ends, the students will have been working for 10 minutes without a break. Ex. Hannah will have been playing the piano for five years this June.

Exercise 6
Write the correct form of the verb as stated in parenthesis.
1. She _________________ all afternoon. (study‐past perfect progressive)
2. Susan ______________ for two hours by 9 a.m. (work‐future perfect progressive)
3. Diane ________________ us a folk tale. (tell‐present perfect progressive)
4. Reggie ___________________ a heavy course load this year. (carry‐present perfect progressive)
5. I was very relieved because I ____________ a much lower grade. (expect‐past perfect progressive)
6. He __________________ for two hours by noon. (swim‐future perfect progressive)
7. Nick ________________ second thoughts about the concert. (have‐present perfect progressive)
8. We ____________ the dancer carefully all evening (watch‐past perfect progressive)


Verb Tense Final Review

Review 1
Identify the tense of each of the following verbs.
1. will be going
2. ride
3. was bringing
4. had kept
5. had been leaving
6. wrote
7. will have written
8. has given
9. will ride
10. will have been crying

Review 2
Conjugate the following regular and irregular verb using the given pronouns as the subject.

visit (with he) Ex. He visits
Present: Past: Future: Present Perfect: Past Perfect: Future Perfect: Present Progressive: Past Progressive: Future Progressive: Present Perfect Progressive: Past Perfect Progressive: Future Perfect Progressive:

begin (with they)
Present: Past: Future: Present Perfect: Past Perfect: Future Perfect: Present Progressive: Past Progressive: Future Progressive: Present Perfect Progressive: Past Perfect Progressive: Future Perfect Progressive:

Review 3
Some of the verbs in this paragraph are in the wrong tense. Decide which verbs must be changed, then rewrite those sentences, correcting those verbs.
1) Last year for my birthday, my parents took me to New York City.
2) We visit the Empire State Building and take a boat to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
3)I will like best the boat ride through the harbor to the Statue and Ellis Island.
4)It made me think of the boat ride my great‐grandfather took to come to Ellis Island as an immigrant.
5)My father says he remembers his grandfather telling him the story of the ocean voyage.
6)When my great‐grandfather arrives in New York, he sees the statue.
7)I am sure that I had always remembered that story too.

Gerunds vs infinitives BASICS

GERUNDS

as the subject of a sentence (S = Ger)

This position commonly calls for a gerund. While an infinitive is also possible, it is very formal and not common.

Shopping is my favourite hobby.

Working out has really improved my health.

following a preposition (Prep + Ger)

Here is another common gerund position. This rule applies to all prepositions, including ones that are part of phrasal verbs.

She thought about calling him, but decided she wouldn’t.

They are planning on going to the party tonight.

as the object of a verb (V + Ger)

This is the one position where both gerunds and infinitives are commonly used. The choice of which to use all depends on the verb. Some common ones are: advise, avoid, enjoy, finish, practise, quit, and suggest.

He enjoyed learning about gerunds.

My teacher suggested studying for the upcoming quiz.

*Don’t forget that some verbs take either a gerund or an infinitive with no change in meaning. While students don’t have to worry about these verbs, they should still be pointed out. Some common verbs are: like, love, and hate.

I love eating pasta.

I love to eat pasta.

INFINITIVES

following an adjective (Adj + Inf)

Though it is possible in some cases to use a gerund after an adjective, it is more common to use an infinitive, making it the better choice for students.

It is nice to meet you.

She mentioned that it was dangerous to stand near that machine.

following a noun or pronoun (N + Inf)

If the verb has an object that is a noun or a pronoun, it is almost always followed by an infinitive. This makes it easy for students to choose the correct form.

You asked me to call you.

The doctor advised Mark to eat more vegetables. 

(Note that the verb “advise” normally takes a gerund, as in “The doctor advised eating more vegetables.” But because there is a noun object in this sentence, we must use the infinitive. The noun rule supersedes the verb rule, which is great news for students.)

as the object of a verb (V + Inf)

This is the one position where both gerunds and infinitives are commonly used. It all depends on the verb. Some common ones are: ask, choose, decide, get, need, plan, promise, and want.

They want to get their tests back as soon as possible.

The students are planning to have a party this Friday.

Battleship game to practice 

1. I can’t help __ in love with you. (fall)

2. I don’t mind ___ every day out on your corner in the pouring rain. (stand)

3. I want __ free, I want __ free, I want __ free from your lies, you’re so self-satisfied, I don’t need you. (break / break / break)

4. Today I don’t feel like __ anything, I just want to stay in my bed. (do)

5. I hate __ up out of the blue uninvited but I couldn’t stay away, I couldn’t hide it, I had hoped you’d see my face and be reminded that for me it isn’t over.  (turn)

6. So I cross my heart and I hope __ that I’ll only stay with you one more night. (die)

7. I don’t need __ to control you, look into my eyes and I’ll own you with them moves like Jagger. (try)

8. Stop __, stop __, I don’t want to think anymore. I left my head and my heart on the dance floor. (call / call)

9. Hey Jude, don’t let me down, you have found her, now go and get her. Remember __ her into your heart, then you can start __ it better. (let / make)

Gerunds vs infinitives EXTENSION

Gerunds and Infinitives Part 1

(from http://www.englishpage.com)

1. A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding "-ing." 

The gerund form of the verb "read" is "reading." 

You can use a gerund as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

Examples:

• Reading helps you learn English. subject of sentence
• Her favorite hobby is reading. complement of sentence
• I enjoy reading. object of sentence

Gerunds can be made negative by adding "not."

Examples:

• He enjoys not working.
• The best thing for your health is not smoking.

2. Infinitives are the "to" form of the verb. The infinitive form of "learn" is "to learn." You can also use an infinitive as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

Examples:

• To learn is important. subject of sentence
• The most important thing is to learn. complement of sentence
• He wants to learn. object of sentence

Infinitives can be made negative by adding "not."

Examples:

• I decided not to go.
• The most important thing is not to give up.

3. Both gerunds and infinitives can be used as the subject or the complement of a sentence. However, as subjects or complements, gerunds usually sound more like normal, spoken English, whereas infinitives sound more abstract. In the following sentences, gerunds sound more natural and would be more common in everyday English. Infinitives emphasize the possibility or potential for something and sound more philosophical. If this sounds confusing, just remember that 90% of the time, you will use a gerund as the subject or complement of a sentence.

Examples:

• Learning is important. normal subject
• To learn is important. abstract subject - less common
• The most important thing is learning. normal complement
• The most important thing is to learn. abstract complement - less common

4. As the object of a sentence, it is more difficult to choose between a gerund or an infinitive. In such situations, gerunds and infinitives are not normally interchangeable. Usually, the main verb in the sentence determines whether you use a gerund or an infinitive.

Examples:

• He enjoys swimming. "Enjoy" requires a gerund.
• He wants to swim. "Want" requires an infinitive.

5. Some verbs are followed by gerunds as objects. List of Verbs Followed by Gerunds

Examples:

• She suggested going to a movie.
• Mary keeps talking about her problems.

6. Some verbs are followed by infinitives. List of Verbs Followed by Infinitives

Examples:

• She wants to go to a movie.
• Mary needs to talk about her problems.

Exercises Based on Part 1 of the Gerunds and Infinitives Tutorial

Gerunds and Infinitives Part 2

7. Gerunds can often be modified with possessive forms such as his, her, its, your, their, our, John's, Mary's, the machine's, and so on. This makes it clearer who or what is performing the action.

Examples:

• I enjoyed their singing. They were singing.
• She understood his saying no to the offer. He said no.
• Sam resented Debbie's coming late to the dinner. Debbie came late to the dinner.
• We discussed the machine's being broken. The machine is broken.

8. Some verbs are followed by a noun plus an infinitive. In some situations, the noun is required. In other situations, the noun is optional. List of Verbs Followed by a Noun + an Infinitive

Examples:

• The police ordered the man to stop. noun is required
• She asked to leave. noun is optional
• She asked him to leave. noun is optional

9. Some verbs are usually followed by a gerund, BUT they can also be followed by a noun plus infinitive. Using a noun plus infinitive will usually change who is performing the action. List of Verbs followed by a Gerund OR a Noun + Infinitive

Examples:

• I advised taking the train. in general
• I advised him to take the train. He will take the train.

10. There are many "go + gerund" expressions used for adventure sports and individual recreational activities. List of Go + Gerund Combinations

Examples:

• I go swimming every weekend.
• Would you ever go skydiving?

11. Gerunds are used after prepositions. Most commonly, these are "verb + preposition" combinations. For reference, see the Verb + Preposition Dictionary and the Phrasal Verb Dictionary. You don't have to memorize these resources, you just need to remember that gerunds are used after prepositions!

Examples:

• They admitted to committing the crime.
• Leslie made up for forgetting my birthday.
• He is thinking about studying abroad.

12. Remember that there are many "adjective + preposition" combinations and "noun + preposition" combinations in English as well. These are also followed by gerunds. List of Adjective + Preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds and List of Noun + Preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds. Once again, you don't have to memorize these resources, you just need to remember that gerunds are used after prepositions!

Examples:

• Sandy is scared of flying. adjective + preposition
• Nick is anxious about taking the examination. adjective + preposition
• His interest in becoming a professional snowboarder was well known. noun + preposition
• Thomas' story about seeing a grizzly bear was really exciting. noun + preposition