Results 1 to 10 of 10
Like Tree1Likes
  • 1 Post By Seraph

Thread: Tenses

  1. #1
    Почтенный гражданин pushvv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    400
    Rep Power
    10

    Tenses

    I am a bit confused. What is the difference between

    Server is going to provide something.

    and

    Server is going to be providing something.

  2. #2
    Властелин iCake's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Siberia, the Earth
    Posts
    1,201
    Rep Power
    32
    Quote Originally Posted by pushvv View Post
    I am a bit confused. What is the difference between

    Server is going to provide something.

    and

    Server is going to be providing something.
    As far (maybe not so far ) as I understand English I can say:

    Server is going to provide something - Just for this time
    Server is going to be providing something - Constantly, not just for one time
    I do not claim that my opinion is absolutely true.
    If you've spotted any mistake in my English, please, correct it. I want to be aware of any mistakes to efficiently eliminate them before they become a habit.

  3. #3
    Почтенный гражданин pushvv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    400
    Rep Power
    10
    То есть я вас накормлю.

    и

    я буду вас кормить, пока вы не найдете работу.

    ?

    Не думаю, что раньше видел такую конструкцию, отсюда, собственно, интерес.

  4. #4
    Старший оракул
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Russia
    Posts
    865
    Rep Power
    29
    Quote Originally Posted by iCake View Post
    As far (maybe not so far ) as I understand English I can say:

    Server is going to provide something - Just for this time
    Server is going to be providing something - Constantly, not just for one time
    Can we treat them as equivalents to future perfective and future imperfective?

    1) Сервер предоставит (что-то).
    2) Сервер будет предоставлять (что-то).

  5. #5
    Властелин iCake's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Siberia, the Earth
    Posts
    1,201
    Rep Power
    32
    Quote Originally Posted by Боб Уайтман View Post
    Can we treat them as equivalents to future perfective and future imperfective?
    .
    You're asking me? I am a Russian who's damn bad at English Let's see what natives English speakers have to say
    I do not claim that my opinion is absolutely true.
    If you've spotted any mistake in my English, please, correct it. I want to be aware of any mistakes to efficiently eliminate them before they become a habit.

  6. #6
    Старший оракул Seraph's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    782
    Rep Power
    17
    Quote Originally Posted by pushvv View Post
    I am a bit confused. What is the difference between

    Server is going to provide something.

    and

    Server is going to be providing something.
    For me, one of the differences has to do with expectancy. 'going to be providing' has a greater degree of expectancy, greater certainty. But it is nebulous. Foggy.

    "The server is going to provide something - Just for this time" This one is kind of indefinite, but does have a one time sense, could be used for a question about what is going to happen in a particular case, ie server has been prompted, now waiting for response.

    "The server is going to be providing something." This one could be used when is a case of how server has previously functioned, so we have seen it already working in a particular situation. And now we have that situation again, and so we have expectation that 'it will be providing something'.

    The idea about the imperfective/perfective is reasonable, but in English it isn't such a clear difference as in Russian.
    Last edited by Seraph; August 3rd, 2013 at 03:15 PM.
    coco likes this.

  7. #7
    Почтенный гражданин pushvv's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    400
    Rep Power
    10
    Thank you.

  8. #8
    Новичок coco's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    The Woodland of Weir
    Posts
    7
    Rep Power
    8
    Quote Originally Posted by pushvv View Post
    I am a bit confused. What is the difference between

    Server is going to provide something.

    and

    Server is going to be providing something.
    To me it also indicates when the service will be provided.

    "The server is going to provide something" sounds more like it will be immediate.

    "The server will be providing something" sounds like it will just be sometime in the future.

    That's what it seems like to me, along with what everyone else said

  9. #9
    Старший оракул Seraph's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    782
    Rep Power
    17
    Here's something, that goes with Bob's comment, as the construction has a name, the future continuous:ENGLISH PAGE - Future Continuous

  10. #10
    Почтенный гражданин bitpicker's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    653
    Rep Power
    14
    Quote Originally Posted by coco View Post
    To me it also indicates when the service will be provided.

    "The server is going to provide something" sounds more like it will be immediate.

    "The server will be providing something" sounds like it will just be sometime in the future.

    That's what it seems like to me, along with what everyone else said
    The difference of "will" vs. "going to" wasn't part of the original question.

    Let's forget the server bit for a while. Servers do not plan etc. so the distinction becomes a bit muddy.

    I am going to provide food.
    I am going to be providing food.

    Here it is more clear: the first sentence means that on the one occasion we are talking about I will bring something to eat. The second means that beginning with the time we are talking about and for the time span we are talking about I will begin to bring something to eat and continue to do so. The first could be about one meeting, the meeting after that someone else is going to bring the food, whereas the second could be about several meetings, to each of which I am going to bring the food.
    Спасибо за исправления!

    Вам нравится этот форум, и вы изучаете немецкий язык? Вот похожий форум о немецком языке.

Similar Threads

  1. Progressive Tenses
    By G2Ident89 in forum Grammar and Vocabulary
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: November 13th, 2010, 02:53 PM
  2. Past tenses
    By Nat_Nat in forum Learn English - Грамматика, переводы, словарный запас
    Replies: 14
    Last Post: November 19th, 2008, 08:13 PM
  3. The russian past tenses
    By JackBoni in forum Grammar and Vocabulary
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: May 3rd, 2007, 02:00 PM
  4. How many tenses in Russian?
    By Бармалей in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: October 4th, 2006, 10:54 AM
  5. sequence of tenses
    By Annet in forum Grammar and Vocabulary
    Replies: 27
    Last Post: July 24th, 2005, 04:36 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


Russian Lessons                           

Russian Tests and Quizzes            

Russian Vocabulary