future events or facts that are not personal

[Winwin2011]

Cambridge Grammar for IELTS

We use will

-to talk about future events or facts that are not personal:

The best player on the tour will get a special trophy.
The prime minister will open the debate in parliament tommorow.

I am wondering what does "personal" mean in the above context?

Thanks for your help.

[robbarron]

Cambridge Grammar for IELTS

We use will

-to talk about future events or facts that are not personal:

The best player on the tour will get a special trophy.
The prime minister will open the debate in parliament tommorow.

I am wondering what does "personal" mean in the above context?

Thanks for your help.

I'm afraid I simply don't agree with the definition of 'will' to be used impersonally. It can be entirely personal, as in 'Peter, the Captain of the team, will get a special trophy.'

Although the main distinction between 'will' and 'going to' for the future is usually stated as being for spontaneous decidions and planned decisions respectively, that is a general rule for which there are exceptions galore unless you define the rule with more usages.

'Will' is used to:
State facts about the future
e.g. 'The sun will set at 1725 this evening'

Give predictions about the future which are not based on present evidence
e.g. Liverpool will win the F A Cup (in my opinion as a Liverpool supporter!)

Talk about spontaneous decisions that affect the immediate present or the future
e.g. It's hot in here, I'll open the window
I hear Peter is looking for me. I'll send him a text message later.

The above three are the main but not the only ways in which 'will' can be used. They do however account for a far greater area of usage than the original statement quoted in this thread.

I hope that helps.

[magdalena]

It means that someone else decides, not you. Compare:
I am meeting my friend tomorrow - personal
I have got a new rota (imagine you are a shop assistant in a big supermarket. A rota tells you who works when: Monday 8-4, Tuesday 4-12). I will work all day tomorrow / I work all day tomorrow. - not personal
The same goes to schedules: cinema schedule, bus timetable: The train to Paris leaves at 8.30 tomorrow - not personal
I am going to Paris tomorrow - a personal plan. I must get up early because the only train goes at 8.30- not personal.
I am meeting Ana at the station at 8.00 - a personal plan.
I will be in Paris this time tomorrow - neutral fact.

Here, the President does not a have personal plan to open the event. He is a President so he has to do it. It isn't a schedule because he does not do it on a regular basis, just sometimes. so - The President will open the event.



I am not a native speaker but this is how I understand it.

[5jj]

Try this.