Don’t worry I’m not gonna get all political on you – especially on a Friday! So why the title, you ask? Did you know that we also use the two present tenses in aspects of the future?
Check this out. If you have an appointment or arrangement (fixed in your schedule/diary) with somebody, then we actually use the present continuous form to talk about it.
“What time are you meeting Dave this afternoon?” “I’m meeting him at 3 p.m. then I’m having dinner with another friend at 5p.m.”
What about the present simple? Anything, which runs according to a schedule, uses the present simple (even in the future).
“What time does the film start at the cinema this evening?” “It starts at 7p.m.”
“What time does your train leave this afternoon?” “It leaves at 5.45pm.”
And that leads me straight into the next titbit for you! Which seems more correct for you?
“I’ll miss you when you will leave.” or “I’ll miss you when you leave”.
Maybe your gut feeling would say the first, but of course I gave the game away by talking about the present simple before! The latter is correct and the pattern is the same after the following words: WHEN, IF, BEFORE, AFTER, UNLESS.
After those words, even if it is a future idea (like above – the person is leaving in the future!), we use the present simple afterwards.
“We’ll set off, if you don’t arrive by 2p.m., ok!” (.. if you won’t arrive)
“Make sure to say goodbye, before you leave tomorrow” (… before you will leave)
So I’ll be back on Monday with the GYG challenge Day 11, if you want to join me!
Have a GREAT weekend.
Appointment (Termin), arrangement (Vereinbarung / Verabredung), according to (Gemäß), gut feeling (Bauchgefühl), to give the game away (alles ausplaudern), the latter (letzteres), pattern (Schema), to set off (aufbrechen)
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To recommend (empfehlen), commission (Provision),
These are the fine nuances that teachers don’t or only marginally mention at school. Well, it‘s good to know that these are grammatically correct forms and not just colloquial language which I know from the internet, books and TV. Thank you!