[Grammar] He gets back in a week.

[englishhobby]

As far as I know, the present simple tense is used with timetables only (to speak about future actions).
So we need the present continuous here, don't we? Or not necessarily?
Which is miore natural? Are both possible?
1) He gets back in a week.
2)He is getting back in a week.

 

[bhaisahab]

#1 is more natural for me.

 

[MikeNewYork]

The present simple has more uses than that.

 

[englishhobby]

What's the difference then (in grammar) between:
1) He is coming tomorrow.
2) He gets back in a week.

I feel we can't say "He comes back tomorrow" and (as you said) we'd better not say "He is getting back in a week". Why?

 

[bhaisahab]

I didn't say that you can't use "He's getting back in a week". I said that "He gets back in a week" is more natural in my opinion.

 

[emsr2d2]

I would use "He gets back in a week", "He'll be back in a week" or "He's due back in a week". I find "He's getting back in a week" less natural, like bhaisahab.

 

[englishhobby]

I would use "He gets back in a week", "He'll be back in a week" or "He's due back in a week". I find "He's getting back in a week" less natural, like bhaisahab.

I'm still wondering why we use the present continuous in "He's coming back in a week" (and not "He comes back in a week") and the present simple in "He gets back in a week" . Is there some explanation or is it just something a learner should take as it is?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

What's the difference then (in grammar) between:
1) He is coming tomorrow.
2) He gets back in a week.

Six days!

I feel we can't say "He comes back tomorrow."

Sure we can! Why not? It means the same thing as "He gets back tomorrow." We can also say "He flies back tomorrow" or "He drives back tomorrow." They're all informal but correct conversational English.

And (as you said) we'd better not say "He is getting back in a week." Why?

It's fine. Or, more naturally: "He's getting back in a week."

I think Bhalsahab speaks British English. I speak U.S. American. That might be why our responses are slightly different.

 

[bhaisahab]

I don't have a problem with "He comes back tomorrow".

 

[englishhobby]

Is grammar changing then?
In Michael Swan's Grammar I have found this:
"In other cases (besides timetables and schedules, instructions and subordinate clauses - my comment) we do not usually use the simple present to talk about the future. Lucy's coming for a drink this evening. (NOT Lucy comes...)"

Of course, native speakers know how to speak their language , but what shall I do with my students? Shall I say to them that the grammar book is wrong, or that it used to be right before, but now there are new tendencies not fixed in grammar or something else?

The problem is that I need to present new grammar to my students, then make up (or find) exercises for them to practice, then they produce their own sentences when speaking, then I should make a test for them to check their progress... Should I include this case with "He gets back in a week" if it's not in grammar books, but native speakers are using it?

 

[englishhobby]

I don't have a problem with "He comes back tomorrow".

I do (see above)