[Grammar] What will you do tomorrow night?

[beachboy]

1) What will you do tomorrow night?
2) What are you doing tomorrow night?

I understand that, in affirmative sentences, the future with "will" (I'll go to a party tomorrow night) refers to a decision just made, and that the present continuous (I'm going to a party tomorrow night) refers to arrangements. What I don't understand is what the speaker has in mind when choosing whether to ask "What will you do tomorrow night?" or "What are you doing tomorrow night?".

 

[GoesStation]

In this case, "going to" is natural and "will" isn't except in a particular context.

 

[teechar]

I understand that, in affirmative sentences, the future with "will" ... refers to a decision just made, and that the present continuous ... refers to arrangements.

Use those as general guidelines, not as foolproof rules.

What I don't understand is what the speaker has in mind when choosing whether to ask "What will you do tomorrow night?" or "What are you doing tomorrow night?".

Those are used in different contexts.

Here are two examples:

A: What are you doing tomorrow night?
B: I've nothing planned.
A: How about catching a flick?
B: Great idea!

-----------

A: Sorry to hear about your accommodation troubles.
B: No big deal. I'm only in town for two days. Tonight, I'll sleep in the office.
A: What will you do tomorrow night?
B: I should be able to find a room in a hotel or a motel.

 

[beachboy]

In this case, "going to" is natural and "will" isn't except in a particular context.

Do you mean "going to" in the possible answer (I'm going to a party tomorrow night) or did you include a third possibility in the question (What are you going to do tomorrow night?) Anyway, I still don't understand why I can't ask "What will you do tomorrow night?" (or why it isn't natural, as pointed out in post#3). Is it because this kind of question must convey the idea of either intention or arrangement?

 

[beachboy]

Use those as general guidelines, not as foolproof rules.


Those are used in different contexts.

Here are two examples:

A: What are you doing tomorrow night?
B: I've nothing planned.
A: How about catching a flick?
B: Great idea!

-----------

A: Sorry to hear about your accommodation troubles.
B: No big deal. I'm only in town for two days. Tonight, I'll sleep in the office.
A: What will you do tomorrow night?
B: I should be able to find a room in a hotel or a motel.

You mean, if my question is about intentions or arragements in the future, it's illogical to use "will" in a question. Is that right? If I understood correctly, you use "will" in this kind of question when you suspect the listener didn't have take to make plans about what you want to know...

 

[teechar]

You mean, if my question is about intentions or arrangements in the future, it's illogical to use "will" in a question. Is that right?

No arrangements, but perhaps intentions.

If I understood correctly, you use "will" in this kind of question when you suspect the listener didn't have [STRIKE]take[/STRIKE] time to make plans about what you want to know...

That's one possibility. The point is that the "will" structure indicates a very early stage in the process (no firm arrangements, etc).

 

[beachboy]

No arrangements, but perhaps intentions.


That's one possibility. The point is that the "will" structure indicates a very early stage in the process (no firm arrangements, etc).

But how can I anticipate the stage in which the listener is? For example, suppose I'm reading the newspaper and I realize Madonna is putting on a show here in Rio in November. I don't even know if my friend Jim knows about it. Would there be a difference between asking him "Jim, will you go to Madonna's show?" and "Are you going to Madonna's show?"

Sorry about my careless mistakes... :-(

 

[GoesStation]

But how can I anticipate the stage in which the listener is? For example, suppose I'm reading the newspaper and I realize Madonna is putting on a show here in Rio in November. I don't even know if my friend Jim knows about it. Would there be a difference between asking him "Jim, will you go to Madonna's show?" and "Are you going to go to Madonna's show?"

I assume you meant to use the to be going to go to construction as I indicated above. But whether you did or not, we rarely use "will" in a positive interrogative. Most native speakers would say "Are you going to the Madonna concert?" or "Are you going to go to the Madonna concert?"

 

[beachboy]

That's not a particularly good context. You'd be far more likely to ask if he knew that Madonna was coming to Rio.

It's not easy for me to come up with good contexts. Anyway, I have to try!

So suppose my friend is reading the newspaper and he tells me Madonna is coming. Which question would he be more likely to ask?

1) Will you go....?
2) Are you going....?
3) Are you going to go.....?

 

[emsr2d2]

If he has just told you that Madonna is going to perform and you didn't know that before, he's more likely to say "Are you going to get a ticket?"

 

[GoesStation]

So suppose my friend is reading the newspaper and he tells me Madonna is coming. Which question would he be more likely to ask?

1) Will you go....?:down:
2) Are you going....?:up:
3) Are you going to go.....?:up:

See above.