Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Marlen]

Hi,

Could you help me with the following:

Sooner or later people will be living in space.

Why not will?

Would it be correct to say:

I think/believe that sooner or later people will live in space. ?

Thanks a lot in advance for your assistance.
Marlen

[Meadowlark]

Hi Marlen,

The word will is present in both of your examples. I think you meant to ask about the difference between be living and live.

It is easy to understand why you would ask this question. The difference is very subtle and you will often see instances of incorrect usage. Many people would say that your examples are interchangeable. Each of your sentences is grammatically correct, however, they do not mean the same thing.

People will be living in space means that living in space will be an ongoing activity in the future. Future progressive tense describes an ongoing or continuous action that will take place in the future. This tense is formed by using will be or shall be with the verb form ending in -ing.

People will live in space means that people will live in space for an undetermined amount of time. Future tense is formed by using will/shall with the simple form of the verb. It expresses an action or situation that will occur in the future. What it does not tell us is how long the action or situation will last. It may be for one second or for centuries!

I hope this is helpful.

[Marlen]

Hi ,

Thanks a lot for such a clear explanation.