Thread: 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.

Originally Posted by pushvv

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

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.

Originally Posted by iCake

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).

Originally Posted by Боб Уайтман

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

Originally Posted by pushvv

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.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by pushvv

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

Here's something, that goes with Bob's comment, as the construction has a name, the future continuous:ENGLISH PAGE - Future Continuous

Originally Posted by coco

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.