tomorrow vs. by tomorrow

Status
Not open for further replies.

Nicky_K

Junior Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Germany
Current Location
Germany
Hello to everyone, who reads it!!!

Please tell me, what is the difference between 'tomorrow' and 'by tomorrow'.

e.g. " I'll do it tomorrow "

and " I'll do it by tomorrow "

thnx:)
 

TheParser

VIP Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Hello to everyone, who reads it!!!

Please tell me, what is the difference between 'tomorrow' and 'by tomorrow'.

e.g. " I'll do it tomorrow "

and " I'll do it by tomorrow "

thnx:)


NOT A TEACHER


(1) I will call you tomorrow. = Today is Monday. Expect a call from me on Tuesday.

I will not be calling you today. So don't wait by the telephone. Go out and have fun!

(2) I will call you by tomorrow. = Today is Monday. I am very busy. I may call you

today if I have time. If I do not, I definitely will call you tomorrow. So you can expect

a call from me today or tomorrow. You should wait by your phone today and tomorrow.

Don't leave home.
 

sumon.

Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Bengali; Bangla
Home Country
Bangladesh
Current Location
Bangladesh
NOT A TEACHER

I will not be calling you today. So don't wait by the telephone. Go out and have fun!

.
:-?
Hi TheParse
Can you describe why future continuous tense has been used but why not future tense ?
Such as, I will not call you today.
:)
 

Heidi

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Taiwan
Current Location
Taiwan
I'll do it by tomorrow.
:)
-Not a teacher-

I'll do it by tomorrow. -- I'll do it any time before tomorrow.

Hope it helps!
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
I'll do it by tomorrow. -- I'll do it any time before tomorrow
NO. I'll do it before the end of tomorrow. See post #3
 

TheParser

VIP Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
:-?

Can you describe why future continuous tense has been used but why not future tense ?

NOT A TEACHER


(1) No, I cannot. I just wrote it that way because it was the feeling that I wanted to express.

(2) I shall try to find an explanation in my books, but I am hoping (I hope?) that one of the teachers will answer your excellent question for me.

Thanks again for the excellent -- and difficult -- question! Now you see why I always warn learners that I am NOT a teacher!
 

TheParser

VIP Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
:-?
Hi TheParse
Can you describe why future continuous tense has been used but why not future tense ?
Such as, I will not call you today.
:)


NOT A TEACHER


(1) I have checked my books, and I have some information to share with you.

I do NOT claim that my ideas are correct.

(2) (a) I will not call you today.

(b) I will not be calling you today.

(3) Here are some observations:

(a) Probably both would be "correct."

(b) 2a sounds too strong because of the word "will." It sounds like a promise. In fact, I think that it sounds almost like: I refuse to call you today.

(c) As one expert said, the future progressive is "softer." It only refers to something in the future. It is not a promise. It is just a statement about the future.

(d) Another expert uses the term "matter of course." That is, something that happens naturally and regularly. For example, at 8 p.m. every night, I will be sleeping. (I am an old man who goes to bed early. That's why I am typing this at 4 a.m.!)

(e) So 2b is something like a matter of course. I am simply (only) telling you about the future. Just as I will be sleeping at 8 p.m., I will not be calling you today.

(f) Two experts point out that the future progressive is more polite.

(i) Let's say that someone borrows $100 from you:

(ia) When will you pay back the money?
(ib) When will you be paying back the money?

(ia) is rather rude. It sounds like: Hey! When am I getting my money, dude!
(ib) is more tactful. That is, it refers to a "matter of course." (I know that you always pay back any money that you borrow, so I am just politely asking when I can expect the $100.)

My two main sources:

L.G. Alexander, Longman English Grammar (1988), p. 180.

Randolph Quirk and others, A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language (1985), pp. 216 - 217.
 

sumon.

Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Bengali; Bangla
Home Country
Bangladesh
Current Location
Bangladesh
HiTheParser
Thanks a lot.
Thanks for the information given .
I really like your explanation ...:-D
 

Heidi

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Taiwan
Current Location
Taiwan
NO. I'll do it before the end of tomorrow. See post #3
I appreciate your correctness. It helps. Thank you very much!:lol:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top