Tomorrow they will [bake/be baking] a cake and (they (will)) [cut/be cutting] it before the guests arrive.

[Uncanny]

I understand that some actions typically (but not always) take much less time than others and the subjective flow of time typically corresponds to the objective, yet I would think that each of the sentences below can most accurately and idiomatically describe a realistic situation that cannot be as accurately described by other sentences. Or perhaps there is something in some of these sentences that jars with you?

Set A
1. Tomorrow they will bake a cake and be cutting it before the guests arrive.
2. Tomorrow they will bake a cake and will be cutting it before the guests arrive.
3. Tomorrow they will bake a cake and they will be cutting it before the guests arrive.

Set B
1.Tomorrow they will be baking a cake and cut it before the guests arrive.
2.Tomorrow they will be baking a cake and will cut it before the guests arrive.
3.Tomorrow they will be baking a cake and they will cut it before the guests arrive.

 

[5jj]

Did you write these sentences? If not, where did you find them?

 

[Uncanny]

Did you write these sentences? If not, where did you find them?

I wrote these.

 

[5jj]

Please always tell us the source of your material in your first post in future.

All your sentences are grammatically possible, though, in normal circumstances most native speakers would simply say They'll bake a cake and cut/slice it before the guests arrive tomorrow.

 

[Uncanny]

Please always tell us the source of you material in your first post in future.

All your sentences are grammatically possible, though, in normal circumstances most native speaker would simply say They'll bake a cake and cut/slice it before the guests arrive tomorrow.

I was not actually asking about their grammaticality but whether these depict realistic situations (without a native reader racking his brains), that is, their pragmaticality and idiomaticity.

 

[Tarheel]

Is it realistic to have a birthday party and cut the cake before the guests arrive? Is that what you mean? Won't the guests be disappointed if you do that?