Ways of expressing future action based on the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde

Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatyuk National Pedagogical University

English Philology Department

Ways of expressing future action

based on the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde

Course Paper

by the 3rd year student

group EPh-33

Antonovych Tatyana

Scientific Supervisor

Khrushch L.M.

Ternopil-2010

CONTENTS

Introduction………………………………………………………………………...3

Chapter1.Means of expressing future action……………………………………....4

1.1. The Future Simple………………………………………………………...…..4

1.2. The Future Continuous……………………………………………………......10

1.3. The Simple Future Perfect verb tense………………………………………...13

1.4. Future Perfect Continuous Verb Tense ……………………………………....16

Chapter 2.Peculiarities of the ways of expressing past action in the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by  Oscar Wilde ……………………………………..….18

2.1. The use of Future Simple in “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde…19

2.2. The use of Future Continuous  in " The Picture of Dorian Gray"…………….20

2.3. The Simple Future Perfect verb tense in the work……………………………22

2.4. The Future Perfect Continuous Verb Tense in the work of Oscar Wilde " The Picture of Dorian Gray"…………………………………………………………...24

Conclusions………………………………………………………………………..25

References………………………………………………………………………....26

INTRODUCTION

Our course paper deals with the ways of expressing future action. We analyze the basic aspects of the expressing future action in the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. It is important to understand how essential the usage of future action is in the English language.

The purpose of our course paper is to study the means of expressing future action in a sentence.

In our course paper the following tasks have been put:

- to give the definition of future action;

- to study future tenses and the usage;

- to define the peculiarities of future tenses;

- to analyze the ways of expressing future action in the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde

The object of our investigation is the process of analysis of the ways of expressing future action.

The subject of our course paper is to identify the peculiarities of the ways of expressing future action in the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray”

Our course paper consists of Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Conclusions and References.

In the Introduction we define main tasks of the investigation, the subject and the object of our course paper, description of the structure of our course paper.

Chapter 1 reveals general information about future action and means of its expressing.

In Chapter 2 we analyze Jean Hegland’s novel “Into the Forest” in order to show the peculiarities of the expressing of future action in the sentence.

Conclusions generalize the results of our investigation. References contain the list of literature used in our research work.

Chapter 1. Means of expressing future action

The future tense is a verb form that marks the event described by the verb as not having happened yet, but expected to happen in the future, or to happen subsequent to some other event, whether that is past, present, or future .

1.1.           The Future Simple

Among all future tenses, the Future Simple is the most common. It is used in many situations such as when making promises or predictions. The future can be indicated in several different ways in English. It is often created with the use of auxiliaries: "She will be a student.", "She is going to drive a new car."

English can even create the future by using the simple present (used for timetables, programs etc.), "The train arrives at 10pm" or the present progressive (used for future plans), "He is collecting his mother from the station tonight."

The structure of the future simple verb tense:

Subject               +              Auxiliary Verb               +              Main Verb

How to build sentences using the future simple verb tense.

For questions the auxiliary verb "will" comes before the subject.

a) The auxiliary verb "will" is used with the future simple verb tense. The base form of the main verb is always used.

Positive Sentences:

Examples:

I will be at school to today.

They will go to the doctor tomorrow.

My dog will come home this evening.

Your coffee will be cold if you don't drink it.

The girls will be home at ten.

b) For negative sentences "not" is added between the auxiliary verb "will" and the main verb.

Negative Sentences:

Examples:

I will not be at school to today.

They will not go to the doctor tomorrow.

My dog will not come home this evening.

Your coffee will not be hot if you don't drink it.

The girls will not be home at ten o'clock.

c) For questions the auxiliary verb "will" comes before the subject.

Questions:

Examples:

Will I have time to go to the store?

Will you be home next week?

Will your friends help you clean your room latter?

Will there be hot water when I come home tonight?

Will someone buy some milk and cheese?

Simple Future has two different forms in English: "will" and "be going to." Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two very different meanings. These different meanings might seem too abstract at first, but with time and practice, the differences will become clear. Both "will" and "be going to" refer to a specific time in the future.[11,112]

Form Will

[will + verb]

Examples:

You will help him later.

Will you help him later?

You will not help him later.

Use 1: "Will" to Express a Voluntary Action

"Will" often suggests that a speaker will do something voluntarily. A voluntary action is one the speaker offers to do for someone else. Often, we use "will" to respond to someone else's complaint or request for help. We also use "will" when we request that someone help us or volunteer to do something for us. Similarly, we use "will not" or "won't" when we refuse to voluntarily do something.

Examples:

I will send you the information when I get it.

I will translate the email, so Mr. Smith can read it.

Will you help me move this heavy table?

Will you make dinner?

I will not do your homework for you.

I won't do all the housework myself!

A: I'm really hungry.

B: I'll make some sandwiches.

A: I'm so tired. I'm about to fall asleep.

B: I'll get you some coffee.

A: The phone is ringing.

B: I'll get it. [11,124]

Use 2: "Will" to Express a Promise

"Will" is usually used in promises.

Examples:

I will call you when I arrive.

If I am elected President of the United States, I will make sure everyone has access to inexpensive health insurance.

I promise I will not tell him about the surprise party.

Don't worry, I'll be careful.

I won't tell anyone your secret.[11,128]

Form Be Going To

[am/is/are + going to + verb]

Examples:

You are going to meet Jane tonight.

Are you going to meet Jane tonight?

You are not going to meet Jane tonight.

Use 1: "Be going to"

The structure of the simple future verb tense "going to"

Subject              +              Auxiliary Verb              +              Main Verb

How to build sentences using the future simple verb tense "going to":

d) The auxiliary tense "to be" is used with the future simple verb tense "going to".

The base form of the main verb is always "going to".

Positive Sentence:

Examples:

I am going to be at school to today.

They are going to the doctor tomorrow.

My dog is going to come home this evening.

Your coffee is going be cold if you don't drink it.

The girls are going to be home at ten o'clock.

e) For negative sentences "not" is added between the auxiliary verb "to be" and the main verb "going to".

Negative Sentences:

Examples:

I am not going to be at school to today.

They are not going to the doctor tomorrow.

My dog is not going to come home this evening.

The girls are not going to be home at ten o'clock.

f) For questions the auxiliary tense "to be" comes before the subject.

Questions:

Examples:

Am I going to the hospital next week?

Are you going to be home next week?

Are your friends going to help you clean your room latter?

Is there going to be hot water when I come home tonight?

Is someone going to buy some milk and cheese? [15,87]

Expression:

"Be going to" expresses that something is a plan. It expresses the idea that a person intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the plan is realistic or not.

Examples:

He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii.

She is not going to spend her vacation in Hawaii.

A: When are we going to meet each other tonight?

B: We are going to meet at 6 PM.

I'm going to be an actor when I grow up.

Michelle is going to begin medical school next year.

They are going to drive all the way to Alaska.

Who are you going to invite to the party?

A: Who is going to make John's birthday cake?

B: Sue is going to make John's birthday cake.

USE 4 "Will" or "Be Going to" to Express a Prediction

g) Both "will" and "be going to" can express the idea of a general prediction about the future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. In "prediction" sentences, the subject usually has little control over the future and therefore USES 1-3 do not apply. In the following examples, there is no difference in meaning.

Examples:

The year 2222 will be a very interesting year.

The year 2222 is going to be a very interesting year.

John Smith will be the next President.

John Smith is going to be the next President.

The movie "Zenith" will win several Academy Awards.

The movie "Zenith" is going to win several Academy Awards.

In the Simple Future, it is not always clear which USE the speaker has in mind. Often, there is more than one way to interpret a sentence's meaning.[18,67-68]

h) No Future in Time Clauses

Like all future forms, the Simple Future cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Simple Future, Simple Present is used.

Examples:

When you will arrive tonight, we will go out for dinner. Not Correct

When you arrive tonight, we will go out for dinner. Correct [6,45]

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

You will never help him.

Will you ever help him?

You are never going to meet Jane.

Are you ever going to meet Jane?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:

John will finish the work by 5:00 PM. Active

The work will be finished by 5:00 PM. Passive

Sally is going to make a beautiful dinner tonight. Active

A beautiful dinner is going to be made by Sally tonight. Passive [13,70-72]

i) The future simple verb tense "going to" is also used in the following situations:

      Planned Events - When a future event that has been planned before the time of speaking.

I am going to Mexico in a few days.

We are not going to work next week.

They are going to university next year.

      Predictions - To make a future prediction based on facts.

There is going to be a really big storm in a few hours.

The test next week is going to be really hard.

The puppies are cute. I am sure someone is going to adapt them.

      Intentions - To state the something that is intended to take place in the future, in informal conversations.

I am going to be a rich person someday.

We are going to pass the test.

The puppies are going to make a big mess in house. [16,55-56]

1.2. The Future Continuous is used to indicate action which will be taking place at some time in the future. And it is not as common as other tenses, and it can some-times be replaced by simple future, present progressive or even simple present. The future continuous verb tense uses 3 kinds of verbs, 2 auxiliary verbs and 1 main verb.

a) In English, the auxiliary verb "to be" does not change to the subject.

The auxiliary verb "will" always stays in the base form.

The -ing is added to the main verb is added to the end of the base form of the main verb.

Positive Sentences:

Examples:

I will be at that party on Monday night.

You will be working for the next few days.

The children will be starting school next week.

My mother will be coming to the States next month.

The storm will be coming soon.

b) Negative sentences are formed by adding "not" between the auxiliary verb "will" and the auxiliary verb "to be" and the main verb.

Negative Sentences:

Examples:

I will not be coming to work next week.

I will not be on vacationing in July.

You will not be singing in the concert on Tuesday.

The buses will not be running on Sunday, they are going on strike.

My sister will not be going to Paris this summer.

The wind will not be getting any stronger the storm is over.

c) For questions the order of the sentence is changed. The verb "to be" comes before, then the subject.

Questions:

Examples:

Will I be working this weekend?

Will you be singing at the wedding tonight?

Will we be sleeping in the hotel or at grandma's house?

Will the dog be coming with us on the trip?

Will you call us when you get home?

Will the snow be stopping today?

d) Present Continuous Verb Tense is used to state future events or actions when it is clearly stated or understood that the action or event is in the future.

Pre-arranged Plans -to describe planes that have be arranged before the time of speaking.

We are traveling to Europe in a few weeks.

The girls taking the S.A.T. next week. [14,85-88]

e) Informal Actions or Events - is used an informal actions or events

We are planning to watch T V. tonight.

The girls are singing on Friday night at the local club.

d) Personal Information - is used to for personal information

I am finishing my doctorate degree next year.

We are moving to a new house next week. [19,22-23]

Important that :

      it is not used for official purposes

      the subject of the sentence must be a person, not a thing

      the present continuous tense can't be used to predict a future event or action, based on a present event or action.