[Grammar] Going to - Future Tense?

[leslieking]

Hello,

1. The children are at home.
2. The children are going to school.

It may sound silly but is the first sentence in the "Simple Present" tense and the second sentence in the "Simple Future" tense?
The "going to" confuses me a bit.

 

[Tdol]

People often just refer to is at the going to form/future. I wouldn't call it the Simple Future tense- it's a present tense to me. There's a lively debate about whether will is future tense or present tense, but if you look on it as the future tense, the other forms Present Simple/Progressive that can be used for the future don't become future tense IMO.

 

[leslieking]

People often just refer to is at the going to form/future. I wouldn't call it the Simple Future tense- it's a present tense to me. There's a lively debate about whether will is future tense or present tense, but if you look on it as the future tense, the other forms Present Simple/Progressive that can be used for the future don't become future tense IMO.

I just saw on this website and the teacher called it Future Tense (but without referring as Simple Future):

The Future Tense

I wouldn't call it the Simple Future tense- it's a present tense to me.

I'm now confused.

 

[Tdol]

I wouldn't use the term future tense for the going to form. We have various ways of talking about the future, but most of those use the present. It's probably easier to call it the going to form.

Be going to cannot be the simple form of anything.

 

[leslieking]

I wouldn't use the term future tense for the going to form. We have various ways of talking about the future, but most of those use the present. It's probably easier to call it the going to form.

Be going to cannot be the simple form of anything.

Thank you.

One more question: The children are at home. < Is this in the "present tense" or "the simple present" tense? I suppose it's not the continuous because there's no present participle in it.

 

[Tdol]

It's the simple present, but you will hear it called simply the present. The children are behaving badly is the present progressive (continuous).

 

[leslieking]

It's the simple present, but you will hear it called simply the present. The children are behaving badly is the present progressive (continuous).

Thank you. Your time is greatly appreciated.

 

[leslieking]

I have one more question.
When I use going to, is the sentence in the Present Continuous Tense?

"He is going to school."

As far as I know the plain form of the verb is "go" but I added the "ing" in my sentence. Is my sentence in the Present Continuous Tense?

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes, but there is no need to capitalise 'present continuous tense'.