A thread on ELL makes me reconsider how I might naturally misuse other tenses when the future progressive is intended.
For example, I might pass out work assignments in the following ways:
- "John, you will be running the tests tomorrow." (future progressive)
- "John, you will run the tests tomorrow." (simple future)
- "John, you are going to run the tests tomorrow." (simple future)
- "John, you run the tests tomorrow." (improper expression)
- "John, you are running the tests tomorrow." (improper expression)
With the ELL example, the intent might be similarly stated by:
- "We will be discussing X at the meeting tomorrow." (future progressive)
- "We will discuss X at the meeting tomorrow." (simple future)
- "We are going to discuss X at the meeting tomorrow." (simple future)
- "We discuss X at the meeting tomorrow." (improper expression)
- "We are discussing X at the meeting tomorrow." (improper expression)
I think the fourth and fifth cases in both examples are probably improper, but I believe they would sound natural among the business leaders I associate with.
Are they improper? If so, are these forms of expressing future progressive common or at least acceptable in casual conversation (in either AE or BE)? If not improper, is there a formal description for these forms?
Best Answer
I don't see any reason to label any of those examples as "improper". They're no different to...
Strictly speaking, there are only two tenses in English: present and past. From that same link, the future can be referenced using the modal auxiliary will, or the semi-auxiliary be going to. But that's not essential; anything except past will work/works.
Nor is there any reason to restrict use of perfective / progressive "aspect" in future references...