Close Future Tense

Understanding the Close Future Tense

The close future tense, primarily formed using ‘be going to,’ is used to talk about future events that are imminent or have a strong connection to the present. It’s a versatile structure in English.

Key Concepts

The ‘be going to’ construction is central to expressing the close future. It relies on the present state of affairs to make predictions or state intentions.

• Forming the Close Future: Subject + am/is/are + going to + base verb.
• Intentions: Expresses deliberate plans and decisions made before the moment of speaking.
• Predictions: Used when there is present evidence suggesting a future outcome.

Deep Dive: ‘Going To’ vs. ‘Will’

While both ‘will’ and ‘going to’ refer to the future, ‘going to’ emphasizes:

• Pre-existing Plans: ‘I’m going to visit my parents this weekend.’ (This was planned.)
• Evidence-Based Predictions: ‘Look at those dark clouds. It’s going to rain.’ (The clouds are evidence.)
• ‘Will’ often expresses spontaneous decisions or general future facts.

Applications in Communication

The close future tense is vital for:

• Discussing personal plans and schedules.
• Making immediate predictions based on current observations.
• Stating intentions for the near future.

Challenges and Misconceptions

A common confusion is between ‘going to’ for plans and ‘will’ for spontaneous decisions. Remember, ‘going to’ implies prior thought or observable evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When do I use ‘going to’? For planned actions and predictions with evidence.
2. Is it formal? It’s common in both informal and semi-formal contexts.
3. Can I use it for distant future? Generally, it’s for the near future.