Simple Present VS Simple Future

Simple Present FORM [VERB] + s/es in third person Examples: You speak English. Do you speak English? You do not speak English. Complete List of Simple Present Forms USE 1 Repeated Actions Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do. Examples: I play tennis. She does not play tennis. Does he play tennis? The train leaves every morning at 8 AM. The train does not leave at 9 AM. When does the train usually leave? She always forgets her purse. He never forgets his wallet. Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun. Does the Sun circle the Earth? USE 2 Facts or Generalizations The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about people or things. Examples: Cats like milk. Birds do not like milk. Do pigs like milk? California is in America. California is not in the United Kingdom. Windows are made of glass. Windows are not made of wood. New York is a small city. It is not important that this fact is untrue. USE 3 Scheduled Events in the Near Future Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in the near future. This is most commonly done when talking about public transportation, but it can be used with other scheduled events as well. Examples: The train leaves tonight at 6 PM. The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM. When do we board the plane? The party starts at 8 o'clock. When does class begin tomorrow? USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs) Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is happening or is not happening now. This can only be done with Non-Continuous Verbs and certain Mixed Verbs. Examples: I am here now. She is not here now. He needs help right now. He does not need help now. He has his passport in his hand. Do you have your passport with you? ADVERB PLACEMENT The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc. Examples: You only speak English. Do you only speak English? ACTIVE / PASSIVE Examples: Once a week, Tom cleans the car. Active Once a week, the car is cleaned by Tom. Passive 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 source: http://www.englishpage.com/