Mañana lo hago o lo haré

Question

Simple present tense and future.

We can sometimes use the simple present tense to talk about the future. This is common when we are talking about events which have already been planned or decided, or which are part of a timetable or a regular schedule.

The summer term starts on April 10th.
My plane leaves at eight tomorrow morning.
What time does the bus arrive in London?
Exams begins on 10th Dec.

It's clear in English but, in Spanish'.

How people sometimes say translation ** **correct Spanish grammar
Mañana lo hago. Tomorrow I'll do it. Mañana lo haré.
Voy para allá. I'll be right there. Iré para allá.
Ahora bajo. I'll be right down. Ahora bajaré.
Ahora le llamo. Now I'll call him. Ahora le llamaré.
Enseguida vuelvo I'll be right back. Enseguida volveré.
Ahora te veo. I'll see you in just a minute. Ahora te veré.
Si puedo lo hago. If I can, I'll do it. Si puedo lo haré.
Mañana llueve seguro. Tomorrow it's going to rain Mañana lloverá seguro.
for sure.

A Spanish teacher would say the correct way would be to use only the future tense. However we often use the simple present tense to talk about the future.(more than we should). Am I right'

Answer 1

It's clear in English but, in Spanish'.

How people sometimes say translation ** **correct Spanish grammar

To use the present tense to talk about the future is PERFECTLY CORRECT in formal and standard Spanish, as it is to talk about the past. This tense is used when the future situation is so much under our control, that we state as a fact. "Mañana me jubilo" (past). "Julio César invade las Galias en el año 55 antes de Cristo" (future). Funny enough, present tense is not normally used to talk about actions in curse with a clear end that are happening right now.

On the other hand, we use the future tense to make predictions about the present or the future; the name of this tense is deceiving, because people would expect the "future" tense to be the tense for the future, but it doesn't work like that: it is the tense for predictions. In "Estará en su casa", we are not saying that he will be at house, but guessing that he is probably at home.

Answer 2

Iker,
The way I understand it, using the future tense all the time, as our grammar teachers would like us to do, sounds overly formal to the man in the street. Is this right? I love the approach taken by the author of Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish, who says that in everyday conversation we can just forget about the future tense altogether and use the present tense instead.

Answer 3

Do you mean':

Tomorrow I am going to the cinema

Next summer I am going to the beach

Yees, robert, this is what I mean, but my students don't understand this very well, that is the problem!

Answer 4

Heidita,

I think that your never ever rule is a bit severe, as in English we use the present simple extensively. When I found out that present simple is used to express future in Spanish, I was delighted because I thought, "This is easy--just like English!" In informal usage, the present simple ("going to") is preferable to future ("will"). And, unfortunately in America, the shortcut "gonna" is largely replacing "going to," even in some high-level speeches.

Here are some examples:

This cold front indicates that it will rain tomorrow. --A weather forecaster on TV formally predicting the weather, although "is going to" would be acceptable also.

Those clouds tell me that it's going to rain. --Less formal in conversation.

I will go to the movie tonight. --Implies determination, as in "I will go to the movie even though I can't afford it."

I'm going to go to the movie because I think I'll like this film. --I am planning to go, and my "formal reason" is that I will like it.

I will succeed at learning Spanish even though it's hard. -- I'm determined to do it.

I'm going to learn Spanish. --I'm planning to start doing it soon.

The experimental automobile shall get at least 50 miles per gallon. --Here, a formal specification ("shall," not "will") poses a firm requirement; "is going to" would be unacceptable.

My new car is going to get 50 miles per gallon! --That's what I'm telling my friend. There's no need to be formal here.

Trespassers will be shot! --Yes, they WILL! Strength is needed here. "Are going to be shot" does not carry the same weight.

So in summary:

Shall/will: Formal, determined, strong -- often a bit too formal for normal conversation.

Going to: Informal, relaxed -- the normal case for conversation and informal writing.

BUT, with all this having been said, the boundary between "will" and "going to" is not rigorous and in most cases, they may be used interchangeably. The intent of the sentence carries a lot of weight and is difficult to quantify. In fact, depending on how it is said, "going to" may carry a lot of strength. I base all this on personal experience, not on any rulebook. But I can say that the use of present simple to express future in English is commonly used and is entirely acceptable, just as it is in Spanish.

--Eeek

Answer 5

[b]

A Spanish teacher would say the correct way would be to use only the future tense. However we often use the simple present tense to talk about the future.(more than we should). Am I right'Hola mi amigo iluso

Well, having said that...jeje, I think that is so much so, that I actually teach my students, to avoid confusion, that you can never ever use the present simple in the future in English, as we almost never use the future tense in Spain. ( I do point out that there are exceptions to the rule)

So sentences like:

mañana voy al cine.

Este verano me voy a la playa.

etc. are invariably translated as:

Tomorrow I go to the cinema.

Next summer I go to the beach.

(sic)

So I am drastic: present in the future is wrong, that's it. Punto pelota.

Heidita, it is quite common in English to use the present progressive tense to refer to the future:

They are having their estate sale next week.
Tomorrow, we are planting tulips in the morning before it gets hot.

Present simple tense? Not so much, but we don't use the present simple nearly as much in English as in Spanish anyway. It does sometimes occur, for emphasis or for something considered certain:

Tomorrow the bottom falls out of the market.
Next week we do or die.
Next month, the biggest tournament ever takes place in our city.

Answer 6

Lo hago mañana.
I'll do it tomorrow.
Lo haré mañana.
Ya voy para allá.
I'll be right there.
Iré para allá.
Ya bajo.
I'll be right down.
Ahora bajaré.
Ahora le llamo.
I'll call him now.
Ahora le llamaré.
Enseguida regreso
I'll be right back.
Volveré pronto.
Enseguida te veo.
I'll see you in just a minute.
Ya pronto te veré.
Si puedo lo hago.
I'll do it if I can.
Si puedo lo haré.
Seguro que mañana llueve.
Tomorrow it's going to rain for sure.
Seguro que mañana lloverá.

Answer 7

[b]

A Spanish teacher would say the correct way would be to use only the future tense. However we often use the simple present tense to talk about the future.(more than we should). Am I right'Hola mi amigo iluso

Well, having said that...jeje, I think that is so much so, that I actually teach my students, to avoid confusion, that you can never ever use the present simple in the future in English, as we almost never use the future tense in Spain. ( I do point out that there are exceptions to the rule)

So sentences like:

mañana voy al cine.
Este verano me voy a la playa.

etc. are invariably translated as:

Tomorrow I go to the cinema.
Next summer I go to the beach.

(sic)

So I am drastic: present in the future is wrong, that's it. Punto pelota.

Answer 8

[b]

A Spanish teacher would say the correct way would be to use only the future tense. However we often use the simple present tense to talk about the future.(more than we should). Am I right'Hola mi amigo iluso

Well, having said that...jeje, I think that is so much so, that I actually teach my students, to avoid confusion, that you can never ever use the present simple in the future in English, as we almost never use the future tense in Spain. ( I do point out that there are exceptions to the rule)

So sentences like:

mañana voy al cine.

Este verano me voy a la playa.

etc. are invariably translated as:

Tomorrow I go to the cinema.

Next summer I go to the beach.

(sic)

So I am drastic: present in the future is wrong, that's it. Punto pelota.

Do you mean':
Tomorrow I am going to the cinema
Next summer I am going to the beach

Answer 9

The summer term starts on April 10th.

My plane leaves at eight tomorrow morning.

What time does the bus arrive in London?

Exams begin on 10th Dec.

I am trying like crazy to generate some kind of rule for this use of the present simple since I had been to lazy to do it before.

The only consistency with these sentences is that they talk or ask questions about times that could probably be said to be based on a schedule.

As we use the present simple in English to describe habitual actions I suppose that it isn't a huge leap to say that a schedule would describe habitual actions related to departure, arrival and commencement.

I am not sure about this explanation due to the bus question though. It probably depends on ones interpretation of the following phrase:

"What time does the taxi arrive in London?

Obviously, due to the nature of a taxi driver´s work, a taxi can't be said to run to a schedule so this disproves the rule.

However, I don't think that in a natural conversation I would say that. I think I would probably say:

"What time is the taxi going to arrive in London'"

I think it depends on how natural "What time does the taxi arrive in London? sounds to you.

Answer 10

[b]

A Spanish teacher would say the correct way would be to use only the future tense. However we often use the simple present tense to talk about the future.(more than we should). Am I right'Hola mi amigo iluso

Well, having said that...jeje, I think that is so much so, that I actually teach my students, to avoid confusion, that you can never ever use the present simple in the future in English, as we almost never use the future tense in Spain. ( I do point out that there are exceptions to the rule)

So sentences like:

mañana voy al cine.

Este verano me voy a la playa.

Tomorrow I go to the cinema.

Next summer I go to the beach.

(sic)

So I am drastic: present in the future is wrong, that's it. Punto pelota.

If the Spanish dont use the Future, do they use the informal future formula Ir (conjugated)+ a + infinitive....like voy a ir al cinema - I am going to go the cinema.

Answer 11

If the Spanish dont use the Future, do they use the informal future formula Ir (conjugated)+ a + infinitive....like voy a ir al cinema - I am going to go the cinema.
this is true, Mark, the going to future is often used, but more often so the present simple,

EEker, I am surprised at your post, you have not used any present in the future.

Answer 12

Thanks Heidi wink wink. I will look out for it from now on. That is the type of thing an English beginner would never know whereas it's second nature to an indigenous native in Spain.

I also think Robert Austin would never say "'What time is the taxi going to arrive in London'?

Most people would normally change the sentence to "When will the taxi be here/there'" or "At what time will the taxi arrive'" the sentence would start "when" or "at" in which case the sentence needs to include "will".
Including the word "does" (3rd person sing present) in "what time does the bus arrive" is more commonly used in speech but less so when writing.

Answer 13

Thanks Heidi wink wink. I will look out for it from now on. That is the type of thing an English beginner would never know whereas it's second nature to an indigenous native in Spain.

I also think Robert Austin would never say "'What time is the taxi going to arrive in London'?

Most people would normally change the sentence to "When will the taxi be here/there'" or "At what time will the taxi arrive'" the sentence would start "when" or "at" in which case the sentence needs to include "will".

Including the word "does" (3rd person sing present) in "what time does the bus arrive" is more commonly used in speech but less so when writing.

Yes, I think you are right, these sentences do sound a lot more natural. The point I was trying to make however was that because a taxi doesn't have a schedule (per se) it isn't normal (natural') to use the present simple to talk about its departure or arrival time.

Remember, I was trying to generate a rule as to when we might use the present simple to talk about the future.

Also, if the sentence starts with "at" or "when" I don't think you only need to include "will".

e.g. "So, when do you leave'"

I think that your never ever rule is a bit severe, as in English we use the present simple extensively. When I found out that present simple is used to express future in Spanish, I was delighted because I thought, 'This is easy'just like English!? In informal usage, the present simple ('going to') is preferable to future ('will'). And, unfortunately in America, the shortcut 'gonna? is largely replacing 'going to,? even in some high-level speeches.

"Going to" isn't the present simple. It is not totally obvious what it should be called but definitely not the present simple.

It has a structure like the present continuous e.g."I am running" but the addition of the verb changes the meaning from the present continuous when talking about the future.

"Tommorrow, I am going to meet John for a drink" would generally be described (in ESL teaching) as a future intention.

Answer 14

"Going to" isn't the present simple. It is not totally obvious what it should be called but definitely not the present simple.

It has a structure like the present continuous e.g."I am running" but the addition of the verb changes the meaning from the present continuous when talking about the future.

"Tommorrow, I am going to meet John for a drink" would generally be described (in ESL teaching) as a future intention.

That's why I was asking eeker for his examples of the use of present simple in the future. I know this *can *be used in some puncutal cases, but in Spain it is widely used and in English it would not be correct.

the going to" form is taught here as: future with going to. I guess like everywhere else:
http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/blfuture.htm

Answer 15

That's why I was asking eeker for his examples of the use of present simple in the future. I know this *can *be used in some puncutal cases, but in Spain it is widely used and in English it would not be correct.

I don't know what you mean by punctual cases, but we frequently use the simple present for future events.

The army and navy are both in readiness. Tomorrow we conquer Gaul.
I can't go with you because I have class tomorrow.
No, they're not coming today. The game is tomorrow.

The future tense could be used in all of the above, but it would sound less natural. Using the present tense makes the sentence feel more alive (similar to what Lazarus wrote about using the imperfect tense rather than the preterit).

Remember that English doesn't truly have a future tense in terms of conjugation. Originally, the future tense was formed by using the auxiliary verb shall, but in American English that usage has almost died out, and only remains in the interrogative forms (Shall I send it'). The auxiliary verb will was used to refer to voluntary future actions, since it comes from the noun will (voluntad). Therefore, we used to contrast the following.

I shall go tomorrow. (simple future tense)
I will go tomorrow. (I am determined that I shall go.)

Because of this linguistic history, there are many times when it doesn't sound right to use "will" to form a future tense, so it is very wrong to tell students that the simple present is never used in English for future events.