Is it better to use ir + a tense or future tense in formal writing?

Question

I'm writing a statement of purpose for graduate studies and I can't decide it it sounds better to use voy a or future.

For example- In this essay I'm going to explain.. / I will explain... Voy a explicar or explicaré ?

Thanks! Amanda

Good question. - Nicole-B, Jun 30, 2011

Answer 1

I would agree with caffe that voy a explicar sounds better but what is most important is that you use the correct construction in an appropriate way

The ir a + infinitive is known as the immediate future and can be used when you are talking about something that you are going to do within a short period of time eg this afternoon, tomorrow or this week The future is used for talking about events in the more distant future eg next month, year etc...

Using the correct construction for communicating what you want to say will look better than simply using the future indicative because it shows that you can conjugate the future correctly but using it when it would have been more suitable to have used the immediate future voy a +infinitive Voy a explicar etc...

You could avoid this problem by simply saying: Quiero explicar o tengo mi intención explicar

I hope that I have explained this clearly enough

**Update: I seem to be wrong about my answer so please ignore all I have said above and so I stand corrected I had forgotten from my experience at University how they like to use the impersonal ''voice'' /way of expressing things eg: ''it will be explained'' ... to avoid any apparant bias **

While obviously very grateful to have my post chosen as best answer I am somwhat mystified why my post has been undeservedly chosen as the best answer when the person ''to84'' gave an excellent reponse about speakingwriting in an impersonal way using - FELIZ77, Jul 7, 2011

,for example: :''' It is understood that...''. instead of ''I understand that'... :) - FELIZ77, Jul 7, 2011

Answer 2

I´ll give you one more thing to think about. I am a civil engineer and in my university courses in the U.S., we were taught that it is inapropriate to say "I" or "we" in technical writing. So for your example you would say "the author will explain" or "it will be explained" instead of "I will explain."

Also, I've done some (about a week's worth) translation work translating some technical writing from Spanish to English for my job in Santiago, Chile. The future construction was used exclusively i.e. "el autor expicará" or "se explicará." It's possible that this is a unique quirk with engineers and thier writing; I don't know if it aplies in other fields. It's just something to think about.

I and we are often used in technical writing in the US in everything from journal articles to textbooks. Engineering documentation is different, but is not typical of technical writing. - lorenzo9, Jun 30, 2011

Thanks, good to know. - tc84, Jun 30, 2011

Thank you so much for your response! In this type of writing I am supposed to explain my academic experiences and goals so I am unsure of how to do this in the matter you explained but it is certainly something to think about. Thanks again! :) - ajbrockm, Jul 1, 2011

Excellent answer To84 :) Your post should have been chosen in preferenec to mine :) - FELIZ77, Jul 7, 2011

Answer 3

In writing I almost never see informal future. The few times I've seen it; it was always in quotation. I guess it depends on how formal your trying to be, but I would wait for a native to answer.

Answer 4

I don't know about the Spanish but in English I would certainly use the second one.

Answer 5

My Spanish teacher once said "ir + a + infinitive" is equal to "gonna"...such as, "I'm gonna go shopping today."

Ever since then, in formal writing, I use the future tense when discussing the future.

"going to" - blazinbilly252, Jun 30, 2011

Yes, I know. But my teacher called "ir + a + infinitive" the "gonna phrase". - SonrisaDelSol, Jun 30, 2011

Answer 6

Sometimes, the present tense is appropriate for this situation, even as in English. Note this from about.com:

In some cases, as in English, it is possible to use the present tense to tell of future events. Sale el tren a las ocho, the train leaves at 8. La fiesta de películas comienza esta noche, the film festival begins tonight.

In your case, you might just as well say...

In this essay I explain....-etc.

I agree with this. "Explicaré" is more like "I might explain". - lorenzo9, Jun 30, 2011

Answer 7

Grammatical future is definitely better for formal writing from everything I've been told.

Answer 8

Hi! "I am going to explain" sounds better for me.