I may come/I may be coming

[Dominik92]

Hello all.

I am curious to know what the difference is between:

I may come tomorrow I may be coming tomorrow

We should win a game tomorrow We should be winning a game tomorrow

I have seen all 4 sentences used in articles so I really hope there isn´t a sentence which wouldn´t be possible to use.To be honest I feel a small difference in the sentence with should but the first one is a bit tougher for me to feel the difference.


Thank you in advance!

 

[emsr2d2]

The first two are absolutely fine.
The third would be more natural as "We should win the game tomorrow", unless the person plans to play more than one game.
The fourth is unnatural in my variant of English.

 

[Dominik92]

Thank you emsr2d2!

And is there any difference between: I may come and I may be coming or I can use them interchangeably?



What´s more I don´t feel like I know when I can use these modal verbs in future meaning.

As you explained me I can use I may be coming on the other hand you find it unnatural to say We should be winning tomorrow. What about other modal verbs such as need, can,could, must, would, might? Can I use them in future meaning? For example:
Since now I need to be going there.

Since now I must be doing this.

I could be going there but I don´t want.

I can be going there.

I might be coming there tomorrow.
My teacher told me I may use the sentences with need and must when I want to say to somebody I need to be doing something regularly not just once. Does really I need to go there mean I need to go there just once? But she doesn´t think I can use this with could, can, would. Is it really impossible to create a sentence like: I could be going there.... ? Or I can use all these modal verbs this way but not so often and have to care about the meaning?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Hello all.

I am curious to know what the difference is between:

I may come tomorrow. I may be coming tomorrow.

- These mean the same thing and are interchangeable.

We should win a game tomorrow. We should be winning a game tomorrow.

- These also mean the same thing and are interchangeable. They both imply that you will play more than one game. Is that what you meant to say?

I have seen all four sentences used in articles, so I really hope there isn´t a sentence which wouldn´t be possible to use. [Space!] To be honest, I feel there is a small difference in the sentence with should, but the first one is a bit tougher for me to see a difference.


Thank you [STRIKE]in advance[/STRIKE]! [It's obviously in advance.]

Any sentence that is not punctuated at the end is wrong.

I speak American English.

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank you emsr2d2!

And is there any difference between: I may come and I may be coming or I can use them interchangeably?
I would say that mostly they can be used interchangeably but context might dictate which one is more appropriate.



Since now I must be doing this.

I could be going there but I don´t want.

I can be going there.

I might be coming there tomorrow.

See my response to your first question above, in red.

The other four sentences you posted are not grammatically correct. We don't use "since now". Try to write them all again, using different words.

 

[Dominik92]

See my response to your first question above, in red.

The other four sentences you posted are not grammatically correct. We don't use "since now". Try to write them all again, using different words.

Thank you for correcting my English. I am still getting used to using this language and therefore I make a lot of mistakes.

Instead of "since now" I can use "from now on", can´t I?


- (From now on) I need to be going there to see my daughter.
- I must be going there to see my boss.
- I might be seeing my friends tonight.
- I can be going there. ( It doesn´t seem to me as a correct sentence)


Would it be possible to help me with other questions I posted in #3 please? I am seeing my teacher today afternoon and I will discuss it with her.

Thank you very much.

 

[emsr2d2]

You seem to be using the present continuous far more frequently than native speakers actually do.

Your first sentence, "From now on, I need to be going there to see my daughter" doesn't work. "From now on" is usually followed by a habitual action or a planned habitual action. For example, "From now on, I'm going to see my daughter at least once a week" or something similar.

"I must be going there to see my boss" isn't natural. We simply say "I must/I have to go there to see my boss".

"I might be seeing my friends tonight" is fine and means the same as "I might see my friends tonight". It's a potential plan.

"I can be going there" is wrong. "I can go there" is grammatically correct but might not mean what you're trying to say.

 

[Dominik92]

So I can not use : I need to be +ing? (e.g. visiting) or I must be + ing (e.g. visiting) ?

It is crazy I can use this strucutre with may, might, should but not with need, must, can etc....

 

[emsr2d2]

But you don't have to use the -ing from with those modals.

I might be going out tonight = I might go out tonight.
I may be seeing him tomorrow = I may see him tomorrow.

If you think that these differing rules are "crazy", you're going to be driven up the wall while learning English. There are more exceptions than rules!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

So I can not use : I need to be +ing? (e.g. visiting) or I must be + ing (e.g. visiting) ?

It is crazy I can use this strucutre with may, might, should but not with need, must, can etc....

You can use it - but use it sparingly!

"I need to go" and "I need to be going" mean the same thing and are both natural. But some of your more elaborate uses don't work. "I must be going there to see my boss" will just confuse the listener, even a native speaker.

When in doubt, simplify.