Present Continuous or Going to?

1. Present Continuous is more natural when you are talking about planned arrangements, going to is preferable when you are talking about planned intentions.

Notice the difference in meaning between:

Present Continuous

I’m buying a new car on Saturday. (It is arranged, already organized.)

Going to

I am going to buy a new car. (I intend to buy one, but I have no particular car in mind.)

There is often little difference between a future intention and a future arrangement, and often going to and the Present Continuous are interchangeable.

We’re going to see

Hamlet at the Royal Theatre tonight.

We’re seeing.

2. When we make predictions about the future, we can use going to (or will), but not the Present Continuous.

It’s going to rain tomorrow.

Selfcheck

J. Use the Present Continuous or going to.

1. It’s 6.30. We (miss) our train.

2. You (eat) all that?

3. This airplane (crash).

4. I’ve lent you my car once. I (not do) it again.

5. I (play) bridge tonight with Tom and Anna.

6. What you (tell) the police? – I (tell) them the truth.

7. What you (do) with the money?

8. I (read) you his answer to my letter of complaint.

9. There was very little blossom this spring. Apples (be) scarce.

10. I don’t like this macaroni. I (not finish) it.

11. Mr. Pitt has just phoned to say that he (not come) back till Wednesday night.

12. Her parents (give) a party for her next month. They (invite) sixty guests.

13. The inspector (ask) you a few questions.

14. He (wash) the car?

15. She (sing) in her first big concert next month.

16. He (go) to Spain for his holidays. – He (fly)? – No, he (go) by boat.

17. Where you (go) this evening? – I (not go) anywhere. I (stay) at home. I (write) some letters.

18. You (do) anything next weekend? – Yes, my nephews (come) and I (show) them round London. – You (take) them to the theatre? – No, they’re too young for that. I (take) them to the zoo.

19. Where you (go) for your holidays? – I (go) to Norway. – What you (do) there? – I (fish).

20. We (start) early tomorrow. We (go) to Ben Nevis. – You (climb) Ben Nevis? – Not me. Tom (climb) it. I (sit) at the bottom and do some sketching.

21. I hear you (go) to the regatta tomorrow. You (sail) in it? – No, but we (take) our cameras. We (try) to photograph the winning yachts.

22. You (not ask) your boss for a rise? – It isn’t worth while. I (leave) at the end of the week. – Really? And what you (do) then? You (have) a holiday? – No, I (start) another job the following Monday.

23. Mrs. Jones (go) to hospital. She (have) her appendix out. – Who (look) after the children? – Her sister (come) down from Scotland.

24. He isn’t happy at his boarding school. I (send) him to a day school. – Have you decided on the other school? – No, but I (see) the headmaster of the Park School this afternoon. I’ll probably send him there.

25. I (buy) a new coat. The weather report says that it (be) very cold.

26. I hear you’ve bought a new house. – Yes. I (move) in next week. – You (have) a house warming party? – Not just yet. I (paint) the house first.

27. That rider (fall) off.

28. Ann has won a car in a competition but she can’t drive. Tom asks her “What you (do) with the car? You (sell) it?” Ann answers “No, I (learn) to drive. I (have) my first lesson next Saturday.

29. Be careful! You (break) that glass.

30. He (not come) next Saturday.

31. Look out! You (hurt) yourself with that knife.

32. It (snow) later tonight.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16