Everyday Grammar - VOA Learning English Grammar and Uncertainty - October 05, 2023
Oct 5, 2023
A lively breakdown of how people talk about uncertainty in daily life. Short lessons on asking about the future using will and be going to. Tips for making complex questions more specific with noun phrases. A roundup of verbs, adverbs and phrases like it looks like to express likelihood. Real-life examples about the economy and health illustrate the structures.
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Two Equivalent Future Question Structures
- English uses two equivalent future-question structures to ask about uncertain events: one with will and one with be going to.
- John Russell breaks the structure into what + do + subject + think + (will / is going to) + verb, showing they mean the same thing.
Ask Specific Future Questions By Adding A Noun
- Make questions more specific by adding a noun phrase after to, for example, ask What do you think will happen to the economy?
- John Russell gives practical examples for uncertain situations like economies and a sick family member.
Use Short Phrases And Verbs To Express Uncertainty
- Use short expressions to signal uncertainty, such as I don't know or I have no clue, when you cannot predict an outcome.
- John Russell lists verbs like hope, think, doubt and adverbs like likely or unlikely to qualify answers.