- The reason is I like working with people, I have experience of looking after elderly people and I enjoy volunteering work.

- The problem is I’m a little lazy, I am often late for work because I sleep in.

- The fact (of the matter is) is that the planet is warming and many species are dying.

- The fact is we need computers to function better in business.

- It is true that a lot of accidents are caused by motorbikes. But the point is that the car if far more dangerous.

- The thing is, he is in a wheelchair and cannot access his own house because of the high steps.

To read the full dialogue, go to my website at: Practising English, podcast 228...

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, grammar help and exercises and other English learning pages.

https://www.practisingenglish.com/english-grammar/

My latest novel for learners of B2 English is called The Tudor Conspiracy. You can see it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/33Axu2N

Be back soon with another podcast!

Mike Bilbrough (Secondary school English teacher and Doctor in English philology)

I'm not going to talk about future tense and predictions, but other uses of future tense.

Going to – plans and intentions that we have;

I'm going to pay Mum a visit later today. She's not feeling well.

Strong intentions.

I'm going to learn German next year. It's something I've always wanted to do.

Present continuous – something that had been planned earlier – some sort of planning has taken place. You have a plan now. That's why we often call this present –future. You've made an appointment, you've phoned somebody about it, etc. You might write these things in your diary – if you have one.

The Jones's are coming round to dinner this evening. (I've called them)

I'm having my haircut this afternoon. (I have an appointment)

But I could say those above with ‘going to' as well.

Be careful – present continuous doesn't work well if you want to express strong intention about something you've been thinking about doing, like your intention to learn German:

I'm learning German next year – does not express that intention.

Better:

I'm going to learn German next year, if it's the last thing I do.

I'm going to keep asking her until she says yes.

In British English, you'll hear present continuous used more with verbs of movement.

I'm just popping out to buy a newspaper.

Are you coming down the pub, Dave?

Where are you going for your holidays this summer.

Will does not talk about any planning at all. It describes actions in the future when you decided to do that thing at that moment.

I can't open this tin of tomatoes.

I'll do it for you!

Mum told me she was feeling lonely.

Really? I'll give her a call this afternoon.

So then we need to remember that when we talk about these future actions later. We just used the past tense of these forms.

I was going to study German this year but I haven't started yet.

You said you were coming down the pub, Dave. Where are you?

The Jones's were going to come to dinner this evening, but they can't make it.

So the past tense of ‘will' is ‘would'

You said you would open this tin of tomatoes. Well you haven't done it.

See the dialogue at...

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-227.htm

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, grammar help and exercises and other English learning pages.

https://www.practisingenglish.com/english-grammar/

My latest novel for learners of B2 English is called The Tudor Conspiracy. You can see it on Amazon here:https://amzn.to/33Axu2N

Be back soon with another podcast!

Mike Bilbrough (Secondary school English teacher and Doctor in English philology)

Now it's interesting that we use get as a verb of motion. Often, when it's difficult to actually move. Have you noticed that we say,

Would you like to get into my car.

Now, you go into your house, you open the door and you walk in. You don't usually get into your house, but you get into a car. Why? Because you have to bend down usually to get in. So you get into a car. Perhaps you're up a ladder, you know, a ladder, which takes you upwards. If you're painting a wall, for example. And you don't like heights. So you find it difficult to get down the ladder. To get down. It means just to step down, to walk down the ladder.

Now, we might say, to get into a house, especially if there's some difficulty. For a burglar, for example, somebody who breaks a window and gets into your house that way. So last year, a burglar got into my house, he broke the window and opened it from the inside and got in and stole a television. So there, it's difficult because he has to break the window. So there we do say to get into the house.

I can't get in. The door's locked.

The old lady can't get across the road, there's too much traffic.

The cat's climbed up the tree, and now it can't get down.

Nobody can get to their homes because of the floods.

We've put the biscuit tin on the top shelf so that little Jonny can't get at/to it. (reach)

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-226.htm

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, grammar help and exercises and other English learning pages.

https://www.practisingenglish.com/english-grammar/

My latest novel for learners of B2 English is called The Tudor Conspiracy. You can see it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/33Axu2N

Be back soon with another podcast!

Mike Bilbrough (Secondary school English teacher and Doctor in English philology)