She is going to sleep

[fluffyhamster]

Anyway, away from manipulation, I would review each situation as it comes up. If I felt there was a need to teach that meaning as part of "be gong to", I would do so.

And as long as I see a use for such statements as, "I've had enough of Fluff's nonsense, I'm off to/going to sleep", I will maybe teach it.

With all due respect, it sounds like you're still making it up as you go along, even after what, 2+ decades of teaching at that super high performance tempo of yours. I was imagining you'd have things a bit more sussed by now is all...and if the only context you can "think" of is 'I'm bored of Fluff's nonsense'*, well...

As for "windbag"

Quick definitions (windbag)

noun: a boring person who talks a great deal about uninteresting topics

Remember that you are the one who posted a such a trifling issue. You are the one who writes enormous posts about almost nothing.

But you just keep on responding, don't you! Can't be such a total drag for you then, can it.

*I note that you've felt the need to add 'off to' as an alternative, and use 'sleep' rather than 'bed', all versus 'I'm going to sleep/falling asleep here' (rather than ' "now" ') - Oh no! Is 'here' an "intention regarding sleeping place", meant to convey 'HERE as opposed to the bed that I usually sleep in'?! Here's to hoping that some insane teacher doesn't start teaching that, eh: 'I'm going to sleep HERE', with no mention of 'I'm going to/falling asleep here...' as surely being the more usual phrasing/intended meaning/interpretation here (="here", around and about, in the world at large, throughout the entire non-Klingon-speaking universe etc). That's not to say that one couldn't ever actually utter, should one feel the need, 'I'm going to sleep HERE (and not in my bed, tonight)', but this should not be presented as the norm, should it. Knock off that 'here' there (LOL), and consider changing 'going to' to 'falling a-/nodding off etc', and you have what I consider(ed) the crux of the thread (that is, if you want to convey much if any prediction let alone intention you're going to need to add e.g. adjuncts of place or duration to the original sentence. A simple point, to be sure, but I'm not sure that metal ever acknowledged the oddity of that original, decontextualized sentence, nor the likelihood of there being differing phrasingS instead of or beyond "it" (for the very functional reason of avoiding ambiguity, even subconsciously)).

[Anuradha Chepur]

And what about the imperative use of sleep?

I hadn't really thought about this, Mr. Metal, but in retrospection, I think in the imperative, it would be 'go to bed' rather. You can tell a person to go to bed, but you can't really control his falling asleep. I think go to bed and sleep correspond to get up and wake up respectively. You can go to bed at a particular time, but sleep much later. Similarly you may not necesarily get up (from bed), immediately after waking up (from sleep) To me, (all) intransitive verbs sound odd with be going to: swim, sleep, die. I find then OK in the present progressive, though.

Some random thoughts. . .

[metal56]

But you just keep on responding, don't you! Can't be such a total drag for you then, can it.

Hmm. Now who was said "Nuff said" many posts ago?

[metal56]

And what about the imperative use of sleep?

I hadn't really thought about this, Mr. Metal, but in retrospection, I think in the imperative, it would be 'go to bed' rather. You can tell a person to go to bed, but you can't really control his falling asleep. I think go to bed and sleep correspond to get up and wake up respectively. You can go to bed at a particular time, but sleep much later. Similarly you may not necesarily get up (from bed), immediately after waking up (from sleep) To me, (all) intransitive verbs sound odd with be going to: swim, sleep, die. I find then OK in the present progressive, though.

Some random thoughts. . .

I hadn't really thought about this, Mr. Metal, but in retrospection, I think in the imperative, it would be 'go to bed' rather. You can tell a person to go to bed, but you can't really control his falling asleep.

I'm afraid I disagree with that. When my little daughter is already in bed, if she won't go to sleep, I say "Sleep". Many native speakers use the imperative in the same way. And, remember that the imperative is not only used to give orders, but also to suggest, advise, encourage, etc.

Also, if a person is ill and in bed or distraught about something and lying on a sofa, for example, one can encourage them to get some rest from their "troubles" and say "Sleep now, it will do you good".

To me, (all) intransitive verbs sound odd with be going to: swim, sleep, die. I find then OK in the present progressive, though.

I have no problem with either "sleep" or "swim" used intransitively:I would have a problem were "die" used in that way.

[metal56]

Fluff, why don't we all pretend that your view on all this is correct and that there is only one way to view anything in this world? Maybe then we can get on to something more intellectually demanding.

[fluffyhamster]

Talking of intellectually demanding, did my post a whole page back totally pass you guys by, go sailing right over your heads? That is, this exchange >

From ME. My life at present:

"I can't go on this way night after night. I sit up worrying about my son and his job. Tonight, I'm going to get a full night's sleep even if it kills me."

(Planning, intention and willpower all intended there. Of course, one could intend that statement as a prediction, but that was not MY intention.)

Yup, twitchy angry types might well say that. Actually, I can imagine somebody's wife saying, already in bed/"sleeping", 'Bah, I'm going to sleep!' and rolling over when said somebody has failed to, ahem, "rise to the occassion"...

preceded the more recent quoted below:

Metal56: And what about the imperative use of sleep?

AC: I hadn't really thought about this, Mr. Metal, but in retrospection, I think in the imperative, it would be 'go to bed' rather. You can tell a person to go to bed, but you can't really control his falling asleep. I think go to bed and sleep correspond to get up and wake up respectively. You can go to bed at a particular time, but sleep much later...

Metal56: I'm afraid I disagree with that. When my little daughter is already in bed, if she won't go to sleep, I say "Sleep". Many native speakers use the imperative in the same way. And, remember that the imperative is not only used to give orders, but also to suggest, advise, encourage, etc.

Also, if a person is ill and in bed or distraught about something and lying on a sofa, for example, one can encourage them to get some rest from their "troubles" and say "Sleep now, it will do you good".

[metal56]

In your last post, did you have a question for "us guys", Fluff?

[metal56]

You can tell a person to go to bed, but you can't really control his falling asleep.

The man in the smoking jacket and silly turban would disagree with you:

"Watch my eyes. You are getting slepy, sleepy. Now, when I count to three, you will sleep. 1, 2, 3... (Sounds of snoring heard)"

[fluffyhamster]

In your last post, did you have a question for "us guys", Fluff?

Yes. I was wondering if you (=metal especially, seeing as you're quite the presence on this thread) ever read things that closely. My writing isn't always so unclear that a point or two (Yes, GASP! I do sometimes make a few, roundabout though they may sometimes be) couldn't be unearthed with a bit of, you know, that thing called mental effort (aka concentration), reciprocally, on your part.

[metal56]

In your last post, did you have a question for "us guys", Fluff?

Yes. I was wondering if you (=metal especially, seeing as you're quite the presence on this thread) ever read things that closely. My writing isn't always so unclear that a point or two (Yes, GASP! I do sometimes make a few, roundabout though they may sometimes be) couldn't be unearthed with a bit of, you know, that thing called mental effort (aka concentration), reciprocally, on your part.

Time is money, Fluff. Do you tell your students not to worry about the length and clarity of their sentences?

Why not give them this one and see if the can avoid backtracking by the time they reach "couldn't be unearthed":

My writing isn't always so unclear that a point or two (Yes, GASP! I do sometimes make a few, roundabout though they may sometimes be) couldn't be unearthed with a bit of, you know, that thing called mental effort (aka concentration), reciprocally, on your part.

When I read your sentences, way before I reach the end, I find myself muttering "now what was Fluff saying". Too many U-turns lead to disinterest in the journey.

[fluffyhamster]

Sorry I took a while to reply - 'I guess 'your insignificance led me astray.' Anyway, now that I'm back, I must say that I think you're exaggerating the difficulties you have with reading, metal (then again, maybe not: your continual glibness could indeed be hiding all sorts of intellectual faults and deficits, for all anybody really knows).

[metal56]

Sorry I took a while to reply - 'I guess 'your insignificance led me astray.' Anyway, now that I'm back, I must say that I think you're exaggerating the difficulties you have with reading, metal (then again, maybe not: your continual glibness could indeed be hiding all sorts of intellectual faults and deficits, for all anybody really knows).

As long as you believe that, Fluff, you'll keep right on writing in the way you do. Glad to see you're back. Did you DECIDE to go for a long sleep?

[fluffyhamster]

Didn't have a long or even a short sleep, no sir! No, during my absence I managed to discover a thing or two that could well provide a satisfactory conclusion for this thread. Allow me to explain...

I don't need to remind you that I'm an AMAZING teacher, so it should come as no surprise that I recently netted two VERY rich private students (and boy, do I deserve every penny). One is a mad doctor whose penchant for drugging his patients made me realize that 'You/They/He/She/It are/is going to sleep, hahahahaha!' does indeed have an imaginable context. The other student is a bored Spanish girlfriend of an insufferable Irish "applied linguist". She asked me what she could do to drive this guy up the wall, and it struck me that her saying 'I am going to sleep' whenever they were "in bed" together would do the trick.

Her feedback? Whilst the exponent had the primary desired outcome (he angrily exclaimed, in his broken Spanish, 'Me passion es deflatado!'), there was an unfortunate side-effect: he then started wondering aloud if he should've been 'more unaccusative' or something (she doesn't know quite what the term was, as she doesn't follow half of what he says) about everything.

[metal56]

'You/They/He/She/It are/is going to sleep, hahahahaha!'

Amazing teacher?

[fluffyhamster]

Note the gap between the pronouns and forms of 'be' - talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel. Anyway, you're rather missing the point (hint: could I have been trying to sound like a certain somebody?)...