FUTURE GOING TO

FUTURE GOING TO

Going to future expresses a conclusion regarding the immediate future or an action in the near future that has already been planned or prepared.

Form of going to Future

	positive	negative	question
I	I am going to speak.	I am not going to speak.	Am I going to speak?
you / we / they	You are going to speak.	You are not going to speak.	Are you going to speak?
he / she / it	He is going to speak.	He is not going to speak.	Is he going to speak?

Use of going to Future

§  an action in the near future that has already been planned or prepared

example: I am going to study harder next year.

§  a conclusion regarding the immediate future

example: The sky is absolutely dark. It is going to rain.

Signal Words

§  in one year, next week, tomorrow

ACTIVITY

Write sentences in going to future.

1. he / get up / early
   • Positive: 
   • Negative: 
   • Question: 
2. they / do / their best
   • Positive: 
   • Negative: 
   • Question: 
3. you / learn / Irish
   • Positive: 
   • Negative: 
   • Question: 
4. she / buy / a computer
   • Positive: 
   • Negative: 
   • Question: 
5. we / take / the bus
   • Positive: 
   • Negative: 
   • Question: 
6. she / watch / the match
   • Positive: 
   • Negative: 
   • Question: 
7. they / wait / in the park
   • Positive: 
   • Negative: 
   • Question: 
8. He / buy / bread / this afternoon
   • Positive: 
   • Negative: 
   • Question: 

COMPARATIVES FOR 8

Comparative Adjectives

When we talk about two things, we can "compare" them. We can see if they are the same or different. Perhaps they are the same in some ways and different in other ways. We can use comparative adjectives to describe the differences.

We can use comparative adjectives when talking about two things (not three or more things).

In the example below, "bigger" is the comparative form of the adjective "big":

A1   A2
A1 is bigger than A2.

Formation of Comparative Adjectives

There are two ways to make or to "form" a comparative adjective:

• short adjectives: add "-er"
• long adjectives: use "more"

Short adjectives: add -er	examples
1-syllable adjectives	old, fast
2-syllable adjectives ending in -y	happy, easy
RULE: add "-er"	old → older
Variation: if the adjective ends in -e, just add -r	late → later
Variation: if the adjective ends in consonant, vowel, consonant, double the last consonant	big → bigger
Variation: if the adjective ends in -y, change the y to i	happy → happier

Long adjectives: use more	examples
2-syllable adjectives not ending in -y	modern, pleasant
all adjectives of 3 or more syllables	expensive, intellectual
RULE: use "more"	modern → more modern expensive → more expensive

With some 2-syllable adjectives, we can use "-er" OR "more":

quiet → quieter/more quiet
clever → cleverer/more clever
narrow → narrower/more narrow
simple → simpler/more simple

Exception: The following adjectives have irregular forms:

good → better
well (healthy) → better
bad → worse
far → farther/further

Use of Comparative Adjectives

We use comparative adjectives when talking about 2 things (not 3 or 10 or 1,000,000 things, only 2 things).

Often, the comparative adjective is followed by "than".

Look at these examples:

• John is 1m80. He is tall. But Chris is 1m85. He is taller than John.
• America is big. But Russia is bigger.
• I want to have a more powerful computer.
• Is French more difficult than English?

If we talk about the two planets Earth and Mars, we can compare them as shown in the table below:

	Earth	Mars
Diameter (km)	12,760	6,790	Mars is smaller than Earth.
Distance from Sun (million km)	150	228	Mars is more distant from the Sun.
Length of day (hours)	24	25	A day on Mars is slightly longer than a day on Earth.
Moons	1	2	Mars has more moons than Earth.
Surface temperature (degrees Celcius)	22	-23	Mars is colder than Earth.

Although we use comparative adjectives when talking about two things (not three or more things), in fact one or both of the things may be a group of things.

• Mt Everest is higher than all other mountains.
•  

Here, we are talking about hundreds of mountains, but we are still comparing one thing (Mt Everest) to one other thing (all other mountains).

SIMPLE FUTURE WILL

SIMPLE FUTURE WILL

We normally use WILL to speak about the future. It is always combined with another verb.

Since WILL is classified as a modal verb (like can, would, could, should) it has the same characteristics:

1. It does not change in the third person (i.e. he, she, it)
2. It is always combined with another verb in the base form (i.e. without 'to')
3. We don't use it with 'Do' in questions or negatives.

Examples of Will:

• I will go to the cinema tonight.
• He will play tennis tomorrow.
• She will be happy with her exam results.
• They will take the bus to the South next week.

When to use WILL

We use WILL in the following circumstances:

1. For things that we decide to do now. (Rapid Decisions)

This is when you make a decision at that moment, in a spontaneous way.

• I'll call a taxi for you.

2. When we think or believe something about the future. (Prediction)

This can be based on personal judgment or opinion.

• The President will not be re-elected at the next election.

Notice how you often use "I think..." before the subject + will.

3. To make an offer, a promise or a threat.

• You look tired. I'll finish the dishes for you.

4. For a habit that is a predictable behaviour

• My daughter will fall asleep as soon as she is put into bed.

Negative Sentences with WILL

In the negative, we add NOT to the end of WILL and not to the main verb. (= will not)

Examples:

• I will not be in the office tomorrow.
• They will not stay here.

• Contractions

It is possible to use contractions in both positive and negative sentences.

With positive contractions WILL becomes 'LL and is joined to the subject:

	Positive Contraction
I will	I'll
You will	you'll
He will	he'll
She will	she'll
It will	it'll
We will	we'll
You will	you'll
They will	they'll

With negative contractions, will not becomes won't:

	Negative Contraction
I will not	I won't
You will not	you won't
He will not	he won't
She will not	she won't
It will not	it won't
We will not	we won't
You will not	you won't
They will not	they won't

Questions

To form a question using WILL, we reverse the order of the subject and WILL:

Affirmative	He	will	be	here tomorrow.
	Subject	WILL	Verb
Question	Will	he	be	here tomorrow?
	WILL	Subject	Verb

Examples:

Will they win the cup?
- Yes, they will.
- No, they won't.

Will you tell him the truth?
- Yes, I will.
- No, I won't.

Will she get angry?
- Yes, she will.
- No, she won't.