Dr. Grammar says:

“What’s wrong with this sentence? I am not sure, but it is going to rain this afternoon.”

EXPLANATION:

Different future tenses show different amounts of certainty, or tell us how sure we are about something. For example:

It is going to rain this afternoon. = I am sure it will rain this afternoon.

It will probably rain tomorrow. = I think it will rain, but I am not sure.

Note that we often use going to + verb when we predict from some knowledge or evidence we have now. In the above example (‘it is going to rain…) I might be looking at some dark clouds in the sky or I might have seen a weather forecast.

We usually use Will + verb when we predict from our personal opinion. It is also usually modified to show how certain we are.

Let’s look at this in another example.

They are going to get married next year. = (It has been planned, so) I am sure they will get married next year.

I think they will get married next year. = (In my personal opinion) I think they are likely to get married next year.

Here are some expressions we can use to show how certain we are about something in the future. For example: Will definitely + verb = I am very sure (certain)

(e.g. I will definitely sleep well tonight.) be likely to + verb                                          = I am quite sure (probable)will probably + verb

(e.g. They are likely to fail if they don’t study.)

might + verb                                          = I am not sure/50% sure (possible)could + verb

(e.g. We might go to Thailand next year.) Therefore, when we write about anything in the future we need to show clearly how certain we are about something.

So…

I am not sure, but it is going to rain this afternoon. X

I am not sure, but it might rain this afternoon. √

EXERCISE:

Look at the following phrases and number them in order of how certain you are that it will rain tomorrow (1 = most certain):

a. It is definitely going to rain tomorrow.

b. It might rain tomorrow.

c. It is not likely to rain tomorrow.

d. It will definitely not rain tomorrow.

e. There is a chance it could rain tomorrow.

f. It might not rain tomorrow.

g. It will probably rain tomorrow.

Answers:

1 = a, 2 = g, 3 = b, 4 = e, 5 = f, 6 = c, 7 = d

FURTHER PRACTICE:

Look at the article “Future Technology” and find language used to predict. How certain are these predictions? What grammar do they use?

Now try to write sentences with varying degrees of certainty about the following topics:

Mobile phones                                         music                                   the Vietnamese economy

the Internet                                                computers                           space

war                                                              the environment                 the weather

This material is provided by the Australian Centre for Education and Training (ACET).