Future forms

[dilodi83]

1) I'll come into the office on Saturday morning if you like, Peter.
2) I'm going to come into the office on Saturday morning if you like, Peter.
3) I'm coming into the office on Saturday morning if you like, Peter.

Which of these three future forms is more correct? I think each one might sound good but 1 means that the speaker is making up his mind at that very moment when he's talking, 2 means that he wants to underline his intention to come into the office or his availability to come into there, 3 I think it could also be considered correct in this case because we have "on Saturday morning" which is a future indication, that we usually find with the present progressive.
Am I right?

The grammar book where I've taken this sentence from says that only 1 is correct...
What's your view about this?

[Afit]

I would - even unconsciously - use #1 and not use #2 and #3.

I am willing to come....

[Raymott]

1) I'll come into the office on Saturday morning if you like, Peter.
2) I'm going to come into the office on Saturday morning if you like, Peter.
3) I'm coming into the office on Saturday morning if you like, Peter.

Which of these three future forms is more correct? I think each one might sound good but 1 means that the speaker is making up his mind at that very moment when he's talking, 2 means that he wants to underline his intention to come into the office or his availability to come into there, 3 I think it could also be considered correct in this case because we have "on Saturday morning" which is a future indication, that we usually find with the present progressive.
Am I right?

The grammar book where I've taken this sentence from says that only 1 is correct...
What's your view about this?

Only 1. is right.
1. does not mean what you say. It can't. If you say you'll do something if someone else would like you to, by necessity you are postponing your decision to do it.
By contrast, in 2 and 3, the decision is already made, so the "if you like" condition is wrong.

Put another way, we don't say, "If you'd like me to, I'm doing .../I'm going to do ...." We say, "... I will do...."

[billmcd]

1) I'll come into the office on Saturday morning if you like, Peter.
2) I'm going to come into the office on Saturday morning if you like, Peter.
3) I'm coming into the office on Saturday morning if you like, Peter.

Which of these three future forms is more correct? I think each one might sound good but 1 means that the speaker is making up his mind at that very moment when he's talking, 2 means that he wants to underline his intention to come into the office or his availability to come into there, 3 I think it could also be considered correct in this case because we have "on Saturday morning" which is a future indication, that we usually find with the present progressive.
Am I right?

The grammar book where I've taken this sentence from says that only 1 is correct...
What's your view about this?

All three examples are acceptable as intentions about the future. As you have indicated #1: spur of the moment decision; #2 planned action; #3: present progressive with time reference. "If you like" is simply a polite afterthought.

[Raymott]

All three examples are acceptable as intentions about the future. As you have indicated #1: spur of the moment decision; #2 planned action; #3: present progressive with time reference. "If you like" is simply a polite afterthought.

I can't see how you can justify this. Why do you consider "if you like" an afterthought? I see it as an integral part of the sentence. It turns a simple statement of intent into a conditional, depending on whether Peter wishes it or not.

How do you justify your opinion about the meaning of 1? The decision to come in to the office if Peter wanted me to could have been made a week ago, and I am just now telling him about it.

Students:
"I'm coming if you like" and "I'm going to come if you like" are not good English.
Nor is "I'll be coming if you like."
"I'll come if you like" is the usual way of expressing this.

[billmcd]

I can't see how you can justify this. Why do you consider "if you like" an afterthought? I see it as an integral part of the sentence. It turns a simple statement of intent into a conditional, depending on whether Peter wishes it or not.

How do you justify your opinion about the meaning of 1? I don't have to justify my inference in the absence of a more descriptive context..The decision to come in to the office if Peter wanted me to could have been made a week ago, and I am just now telling him about it. But we don't know that, do we?

Students:
"I'm coming if you like" and "I'm going to come if you like" are not good English.
Nor is "I'll be coming if you like."
"I'll come if you like" is the your opinion of the usual way of expressing this.

b.

[5jj]

"I'm coming if you like" and "I'm going to come if you like" are not good English.
Nor is "I'll be coming if you like."
"I'll come if you like" is the your opinion of the usual way of expressing this.

b

It's also the opinion of the five teachers (four British [including one retired] and one American) who are talking about this as I write.

[Raymott]

"I'll come if you like" is the your opinion of the usual way of expressing this.
b.

Of course; that goes without saying. I'm the one saying that it is the usual way of saying it, therefore it's my opinion. Usually, if I give someone else's opinion here, I cite references.
But back to the point: do you not agree that "If you like, I'll do ..." is far more common than any of the other choices?

[5jj]

I I have now deleted my careless posts. My apologies to anybody who was confused by them.

[dilodi83]

Excuse me teachers, I've just read all your posts and everything you've written with so much attention. Please correct me, if I have misinterpreted your words. The choice to use the three different forms of future depends on two factors in this case:
1) if I want to be quite formal (I have to use "will" in this context); if I want to be fairly informal and maybe not fully grammatically correct (I can use "to be going to" or "the present progressive);
2) if I assume and I mean that the desicion to go into the office has already been taken, I can use "to be going to" or "the present progressive, because it would be seen as an arrangements; otherwise, if I presume that the decision has not been taken yet, I have to use "will".

Have I caught the sense of what you were discussing?