English Language & Usage Asked by Anurag Thakur on October 12, 2020
Can we use present continuous for the far future?
For example: I am building a hobbit house after retirement. (I am 30 years old now. I have been saving up money for the hobbit house for a while now. I have planned everything and arranged for it. Like I have seen a few places for the house and fixed one)
One more example:
After retirement I am spending time with my family. I am visiting new places and having fun with them.
OR
After retirement I am going to spend time with my family. I am going to visit new places and have fun with them
OR
After retirement I will spend time with my family. I will visit new places and have fun with them.
Which tense should be used here? I am a bit confused.
I read about it in Practical English Usage by Michael Swan (Oxford) entry 39.1. It says that if the arrangement exists now we use present continuous (I am seeing Alice on Saturday.) and if we are not talking about the present then we use simple future i.e. will (I wonder if she will recognise me.)
We are going to get a new car. (The decision already exists.)
I hope it will be better than the last one. (not talking about the present.)
So if I have planned everything for my retirement which is in the far/distant future should I use present continuous or be going to or will?
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