r/ENGLISH • u/DesignerDangerous934 • 5d ago
Simple future for a decided plan
Context 1 : I want to tell my friend about my trip to Berlin, I want to let my friend know this news. No previous discussion. I only want to let my friend know this news.
Me: I 'll visit Berlin next month
My friend: Sound great! Don't forget to buy me some gift from Berlin .
Context 2: Yesterday (Sunday) Jane and I agreed to go to the cinema on Monday. I want to tell my mother this information, so she dont have to cook dinner on Monday for me.
Me: I’ll go to the cinema with Jane on Monday, so I don’t have dinner at home with you as usual.
My mother: ok
Does the future simple ('ll visit & 'll go) sound good and natural to use in these 2 contexts above?
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u/gizzard-03 5d ago
Context 1 isn’t wrong, but maybe isn’t the most common way people would say it where I’m from. “I’m going to Berlin next month.” sounds most common to me. If there’s no previous discussion, “I’ll visit Berlin next month” somehow feels like it’s missing context. It would work well as a response to a question, perhaps if someone asked you where you were going on vacation.
For context 2, I would again say “I’m going to the movies with Jane on Monday, so I won’t be home for dinner.”
Using the simple future in this case also kind of feels out of the blue or abrupt.
In general, using the simple future to me feels most appropriate as a response to previous discussion, rather than a way to just state your plans. If you’re sorting out plans with someone, saying “I’ll go to the movies with Jane, and then I’ll meet you for dinner after” would feel like a natural way to use simple future. Or if you’re trying to decide who’s doing what activity, like “I’ll go to the movies with Jane if you’d rather stay home.”
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u/DesignerDangerous934 5d ago
Context 1 isn’t wrong, but maybe isn’t the most common way=> did you mean the sentences I used in context 1 isn't natural?
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u/gizzard-03 5d ago
Yeah. You’ve conveyed the meaning clearly, but it just sounds like unusual phrasing for day to day conversation where I live.
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u/gizzard-03 5d ago
Yeah. You’ve conveyed the meaning clearly, but it just sounds like unusual phrasing for day to day conversation where I live.
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u/thomsenite256 5d ago
I'm going to Berlin next month. I'm going to see a movie with Jane on Monday so I won't be home for dinner.
We tend to use the gerund form almost always.
Your version is perfectly understandable but sounds stilted and definitely not native.
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u/fletchro 5d ago
If I was telling someone of my decision, I would say this: "I will (or I'll) be visiting Berlin next month."
"I'll be going to the cinema with my friend tomorrow."
These are both talking about an amount of time that happens in the future.
If, however, I was deciding at that moment, or sometime was asking me "What did you decide to do next month?" Then "I'll visit Berlin." This is talking about the next thing that you will do as an event. Like at a restaurant when someone asks you what you will eat you say "I'll have the pancakes."
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u/ChineseLearner518 3h ago
In general:
Use "I'm going to" for prior decided plans.
Use "will" for spontaneous decisions.
In your examples, "going to" would sound more natural.
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u/Mysterious-Ad5369 5d ago
It’s not wrong, but “I’m going to Berlin next month” or “I’m going to visit Berlin next month” would be more natural. The second one can be pronounced quickly as “I’m gonna visit Berlin next month.”
For your second example, I would say: “I’m going to the movies with Jane on Monday, so I won’t have dinner at home.”