Tenses in English - Future or Present Continuous?

TL;DR

Native English speakers often misuse the future tense "be going to" and present continuous tense. This video explains the differences between the two verb tenses.

Transcript

Hello. How are you? My name is Ronnie. Welcome to the video. Today, I'm going to teach you about two different verb tenses that are, quite frankly, very confusing. The reason why -- when native English speakers use these two sentences, we rarely do it correctly. We rarely do it correctly. We are very bad, bad, bad English speakers. Today, I'm going... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤪 Native English speakers frequently misuse the future tense "be going to" and present continuous tense.
• 🫤 The future tense requires the verb "to be," "going to," and the base verb, while the present continuous tense uses the verb "to be" with a verb ending in "-ing."
• ⚾ The inclusion of a base verb is the only difference between the two tenses.
• 🤪 The present continuous tense with "be going to" is commonly used in casual conversation but should be avoided in formal grammar tests.
• 💋 Remembering to include the base verb in the future tense can help score higher marks in grammar tests.
• 🏆 Forgetting the base verb in spoken English is forgiven, but it is crucial to remember it for grammar tests.

Questions & Answers

Q: When do we use the future tense "be going to"?

The future tense "be going to" is used to talk about future events or plans. Example: "I am going to go to the park."

Q: How is the structure of the future tense different from the present continuous tense?

The structure for the future tense includes the verb "to be," "going to," and the base verb, while the present continuous tense uses the verb "to be" and a verb with "-ing" ending. Example: Future tense - "I am going to run." Present continuous - "I am running."

Q: Can the verb in the present continuous tense be any verb?

Yes, the verb in the present continuous tense can be any verb with the "-ing" ending. Example: "I am playing soccer."

Q: Why do native English speakers often use the present continuous tense with "be going to" when talking about the future?

Native speakers often use the present continuous tense with "be going to" because it is more colloquial and they are too lazy to include the base verb. Example: "I'm going to the mall."

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The future tense "be going to" is used to talk about future events, while the present continuous tense is used to describe events happening now.

• The structure for the future tense includes the verb "to be," "going to," and the base verb, whereas the present continuous tense uses the verb "to be" and a verb with "-ing" ending.

• The only difference between the two tenses is the inclusion of a base verb in the future tense, whereas the present continuous tense does not require it.