Lesson 236--Using the Present Continuous for the Future

 

 

While we use the present continuous (is/are/am + ...ing) for things happening right now, we also use it to describe future events.  This is considered more sure than using going to  or will to express the future. To do this:

• we include a reference to the time we are doing the event
• the event must have been organized and agreed to by more than one person.

examples

I am playing tennis on Tuesday with my father. (The time has been agreed upon by my father)

 

Jim is flying to Miami on the 12th. (Jim, the airline, and even his travel agent agreed upon the time)

 

Maria is working late on Thursday. (Both Maria and her boss agreed upon this)

 

The whole family is spending Christmas in Cuba.

 

What are your future plans?

Submit your sentences in the comment box (you don't have to log in, just click the anonymous box).

Lesson 233--Using the Present Simple

 

 

The present simple (or simple present) is a useful tense.  We can use it to talk about routine things that happen usually, or with some regularity, or that are facts.

examples

He works at EC Toronto.

Jane lives in Toronto.

The sun rises in the east.

Margaret goes to the gym three times a week.

Another, perhaps more interesting use of the present perfect is when we use it to talk about the future.  Whenever we talk about a scheduled event (like an airplane departure time, or arrival time) we can use the simple present to talk about it.

examples

John's flight leaves at 9 pm.

The game starts at 7:15.

I have to wake up early because my train leaves early.

Lesson 195--By the time.....

 

When talking about the past, we have some good phrases using by the time,

When we focus on things that happened before we got there we use past perfect.

By the time I got to the theatre, the movie had already started.

By the time I got home, everyone had gone to bed.

When we focus on some action in progress we use past continuous.

By the time I got to the party, everyone was having a good time.

By the time I arrived at school, my classmates were taking a test.

Consider the following sentences.

1. By the time I entered the cinema, the movie had already started.
2. By the time I entered the cinema the movie was already playing.

Both sentences describe the same situation.  Sentence A focuses on the action already started, while sentence B focuses on what is happening at that exact moment.