Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

hela · Joined: 02 May 2004 Posts: 420 Location: Tunisia

Dear teachers,

Would you please tell me why we can use either tense in each of the following sentences ?

1 All the tickets will have been sold by the time we get / have got there.

2 Whether she plays / will play on Saturday depends on what her doctor says.

3 We will go / are going to bed as soon as the programme has finished / finishes.

Many thanks,
Hela

Poisontipped · Joined: 08 Oct 2006 Posts: 28

Im not a teacher, however im going to be an english teacher in the future, ill try help though!

1 All the tickets will have been sold by the time we get / have got there.

I dont know if "have got their" is actually correct english... I think it's just "get their"

"We get means that
2 Whether she plays / will play on Saturday depends on what her doctor says.

Both are really saying the same thing to me Embarassed

3 We will go / are going to bed as soon as the programme has finished / finishes.

"Are going" means that you are in the process of doing something. Like "I am going to get a drink" means that I am in the process, I have left the computer to get a drink. "I will" means that in the future I will go to bed. I dont believe that you can (accurately) use both tenses in the same context. Like if I am "going to the shop" that means I am in the car, going to the shops. But if I "will" go to the shops, I might go their in 2 hours time, tomorrow or next week.