5 English Lessons in One Small Sentence – Part I

A dica de hoje foi enviada por nossa colaboradora Kristen Hammer. Ela já colaborou com várias dicas por aqui. Algumas são as listadas abaixo:

[list type=”arrow2″]

• On the Phone: dicas em áudio
• Podcast: Pronúncia de ED em Inglês
• Podcast: Sounds and Interjections in English
• O que significa Son of a Bitch

[/list]

Hoje a Kristen inicia uma série de 5 dicas intitulada “5 English Lessons in One Small Sentence“. Portanto, vamos praticar inglês lendo a dica e prestando atenção no que ela tem a nos ensinar. Espero que gostem!

Hello, guys! This is Kristen Hammer and here I am with some English language tips for you. This time I have chosen the following [incorrect] sentence in which I’m going to teach 5 different lessons. The sentence I chose is:

[quote align=”center” color=”#666666″]“I will make party in Friday.”[/quote]

Can you identify any errors? One of the errors is not really an “error”, it is just an unnatural way to communicate the tense of verb (in other words, it is not a collocation). Another “error” is just about pronunciation. Another is actually the LACK of a word.

For each part of this series I will correct one error. This first part will be about the difference between “going to” and “will.” At the end of each lesson, I will correct the error, but I will write the rest of the sentence incorrectly. Then, by the end of part 5, the whole sentence will be corrected!

The first part of this sentence uses the future tense of the verb “make”, along with the modal verb “will.”: I will make party in Friday.

When you want to talk about future facts or things that you believe to be true about the future, you should use ‘will‘. Here are some examples:

[list type=”arrow2″]

• The jury will make a decision tomorrow.
• Your boss won’t be very happy if you don’t show up for work. (won’t is the contraction for will not)
• I’m sure you‘ll like Bob, once you get to know him better. (you’ll is the contraction for you will)

If you are NOT so sure about what will happen in the future, you can also use ‘will‘ with words like ‘probably‘, ‘possibly‘, ‘I think‘, ‘I hope‘, etc. Examples:

[list type=”arrow2″]

• I hope you‘ll come visit me at my job next week.
• I‘ll possibly make it to the lecture, but I might not make it in time for the presentation.
• I think we‘ll get along just fine.

Now, if you’re making a future prediction based on evidence in the present situation, you should use ‘going to‘. Examples:

[list type=”arrow2″]

• There isn’t a single cloud in the sky. Looks like it’s going to be another sunny day!
• OMG, this line is so long! We’re not going to get into the club until after 1am!
• If we don’t leave now, we’re going to miss our flight.

Another way to look at this is:

» At the moment of making a decision, use ‘will‘.
» When you have actually made the decision, use ‘going to‘.

A few more examples:

[list type=”arrow2″]

• I‘ll call David to let him know we’ve changed our minds. (you are in the moment of making the decision)
• Mike, I need David’s number. I’m going to call him and cancel our plans.” (you already made the decision to call)

[/list]

[Todd invites you to have dinner with him.]

[list type=”arrow2″]

• Todd, I‘ll come and have dinner with you, but I need to let Michelle know. (you are in the moment of making the decision
• [Calling Michelle] Michelle, I’m going to have dinner with Todd today, ok? (you already made the decision)

Another example: You and your friend are planning a big trip to the U.S. You still need to make phone calls to some airlines, and arrange a babysitter for your cat. You realize you need to talk to your friend the next day to touch bases. So you say,

[list type=”arrow2″]

• I’ll call you tomorrow and we can finalize our plans about the trip. (at this moment, you made the decision)

They respond, “Ok, I’ll be home around 4pm. Call me then.”

And you reply,  “Ok, I’m going to call you at 4pm on the dot.” (It definitely will happen, you already made the decision to call.)

One thing I must add here. As we study a language, we learn rules. For every rule, there seems to be a zillion exceptions! So, yes, there are exceptions with the use of “going to” and “will”. These exceptions usually are very subtle and can change the meaning of the sentence. These exceptions will be found in the study of the use of grammar in use. Knowing the proper use only comes with time, study, and practice. Learn more about the Future Tense in English reading O Futuro na Língua Inglesa.

To wrap up part 1, I am changing the sentence to: I’m going to make party in Friday. In part 2, I will correct the next error in the sentence [in sequential order]. Do you know what it will be?

See ya soon!