This Proseminar paper is about “Future – Meaning and Form”, following the presentation held in the Awareness III. course in winter term 2007/08. In order to analyse the different forms and meanings of the various future concepts, there are several English Grammar books providing useful theoretical information.
The first part of the paper serves as a theoretical overview. In this section the different future concepts are analysed and the meaning of the different tenses is dissected. The second part consists of the practical part. It illustrates where and why the different future concepts are used in different examples. It also shows how the rules in the theoretical part apply to the practical examples like dialogues and full texts.
In English, like in all Germanic languages, there is no simple future tense. The futurity of an action is expressed either by using a word which expresses a future action, e.g. I drive to London in two days, or by utilising an auxiliary construction that combines a definite present tense verb with the stem of this verb which illustrates the actual action of the sentence.
The English future tense was established during the period of 300 years, between 1066 and 1350. During that time, Anglo-Norman was the official language of the British Isles. Unlike English, Norman is a Romance Language, which does have a simple future tense.
In the course of the study of the English future concepts, one has to make a difference between spoken and written language. As spoken language is used more often than written language, the used future tense differs.
Table of Contents
Introduction
I. Theoretical Part
A. Preface
B. Will/Shall Future
C. Going to Future
D. Present Continuous
E. Comparison of Structure
F. Present Simple with Future Reference
G. Future Perfect
H. Future Continuous
I. Adverbial Time Clauses
J. Idiomatic Expressions
K. Future in the Past
L. Auxiliaries
M. Verb Patterns which express Future
II. Practical Part
A. Will and be going to
B. Present Simple and Present Continuous for the Future
C. Future Continuous and Future Perfect (Continuous)
D. Weather Forecast
E. Newspaper Article
III. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Focus
This paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the diverse forms and meanings used to express futurity in the English language, bridging the gap between theoretical grammatical concepts and their practical application. It serves as an overview for students to better understand how different future constructions function within varied contexts.
- The linguistic absence of a dedicated "future tense" in English.
- Analysis of specific structures: Will/Shall, Going to, Present Continuous, and Future Perfect.
- Application of grammatical rules through real-world examples like weather forecasts and news reports.
- Distinctions between formal and spoken usage, as well as future-in-the-past constructions.
Excerpt from the Book
B. Will/Shall Future
Will/Shall is used to ask or give information in cases where there is no reason to use a present verb-form. It is also used to predict the future when we want to say what we guess, think or calculate will happen. The will/shall future is formed with will/shall and simple verb form.
Will is more commonly used in modern British English, but will and shall are used with no difference. They are interchangeable. (Downing – Locke 359)
Will/shall is used in spontaneous decisions announced at the time of making them without a previous plan. (Hewings 18)
e.g. I’m starving. I will eat a sandwich.
I feel hungry and at the same moment I make the announcement that I will eat something.
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: Outlines the purpose of the paper, which is to analyze various future concepts in English following a course presentation.
I. Theoretical Part: Provides a comprehensive overview of the different grammatical forms used to express futurity, including auxiliaries and verb patterns.
II. Practical Part: Illustrates the application of theoretical rules through exercises involving dialogues, weather forecasts, and newspaper articles.
III. Conclusion: Summarizes the study, noting that while the paper provides a thorough overview, advanced grammar books should be consulted for more detailed analysis.
Keywords
English Grammar, Future Tense, Will/Shall, Going to, Present Continuous, Future Perfect, Future Continuous, Adverbial Time Clauses, Idiomatic Expressions, Future in the Past, Auxiliaries, Verb Patterns, Linguistics, Language Awareness, Syntax.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper focuses on "Future – Meaning and Form," specifically examining how the English language expresses future events without having a single, simple future tense.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The main themes include the structural formation of various future tenses, the distinction between "will," "going to," and present forms for future reference, and the nuances of predicting or planning future actions.
What is the main objective of this study?
The primary goal is to analyze the different forms and meanings of future concepts in English and demonstrate how these rules are applied in practical, everyday contexts.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The paper uses a descriptive linguistic approach, analyzing grammatical structures based on established English grammar textbooks and applying them to practical examples to verify their usage.
What is covered in the main section?
The main section is divided into a theoretical part, which dissects the mechanics of tense usage, and a practical part, which presents exercises and examples to aid comprehension.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include future tense, auxiliaries, verb patterns, grammatical structures, and language awareness.
How is the "Future in the Past" constructed?
The paper explains that the "Future in the Past" is used when describing a future state from the perspective of the past, often utilizing the Past Progressive, "was going to," "was to," or "would."
Why is the "Present Simple" sometimes used for future events?
The Present Simple is used when referring to fixed schedules, routines, or timetables that are considered factual or true to everyone, such as flight departures.
What does the weather forecast example illustrate?
The weather forecast section demonstrates how formal language utilizes the "will future" to make predictions, while also incorporating auxiliaries to express the possibility of specific events.
- Citar trabajo
- Regina Seiwald (Autor), 2008, Future. Meaning and Form, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/89562
