Graduation Paper
PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
Time plays a key part in humans’ language: “Humans conceive time in terms
of space, as shown by the language that we use to talk about temporal relations: we
habitually speak of stretching out or compressing an activity heading toward the
future, returning the past and so on” (Whorf, 1956).
And “Time and space are the basic categories of our experience and our
cognition, and without efficient communication about them, no well-coordinated
collective action, hence no human society, would be impossible” (Wolfgang
Klein, 1994).
Until now, there have been many research topics about time expression in
English as well as in Vietnamese. However, the topic Ways of expressing future
in English ─ How Vietnamese learners learn and use them effectively focuses
on studying future express in English then study how learn and use them
effectively. This topic is carried out with the following reasons:
Some people want to study a foreign language because they think it offers a
chance for advancement in their profession. Some study a foreign language because
they want to know more about the people who speak that language. Some people do
it just for fun etc. There are students who study a language because they have an
idea of something that they wish to achieve, or just because it’s a compulsory
subject etc. Such reasons might somewhat influence the learning styles or strategies.
Whatever purposes the learners have, knowledge of the target language or the
second language clearly shows the interference from the mother tongue.
In other words, the second language learners already know a first language,
whereas the mother tongue children start with zero state. The mother tongue
children progress from an initial state of knowing nothing but their innate quality or
ability to a final state of knowing everything about a particular language (the second
language). Adults learning the second language posses competence in their mother
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Secondly, the contrastive analysis method is used to analyze how
Vietnamese learners learn and use the ways of expressing future in English
effectively.
Many materials used in this thesis statement are collected from books,
journals, newspapers in English, English novels, etc.
5. Design of the study
With the aims and the methods mentioned above, this paper is designed in
three parts focusing on the followings:
Part A is the introduction, presenting the rationale for choosing this topic,
starting the aims of the study, the scope of the study and providing the methods to
be applied in the study.
Part B is the development divided into three main chapters:
Chapter I refers to the literature review of time expression in English.
This chapter attempted to point out an overview of time expression in English (two
tenses are used to express the present, six tenses used to express the past and more
than 7 ways are used to express the future.
Chapter II offers the ways of expressing the future in English. All
information about ways of expressing the future in English are mentioned in this
chapter. We can use seven tenses (present continuous tense, simple present tense, be
going to form, simple future tense, future continuous tense, and perfect continuous
tense) and some other ways to express the future in English.
Chapter III is the major chapter, focusing on how Vietnamese learners
learn and use the ways of expressing future in English effectively. With via the
contrastive method were used to point out some difficulties learners meet and give
out some suggestions to overcome these difficulties.
Part C is the conclusion, giving all brief results of all the above sections.
References and Appendix come at the end of the thesis.

Graduation Paper
Besides, …Tense is a way of expressing events as occurring at points
situated along the linear flow of time. Within the linear flow, a point of reference
must be established, with respect to which past events precede and future events
follow. The normal, universal and unmarked point of reference is the moment of
speaking -speech time. It can be diagrammed as follows:
_______________ ● ______________
Past Now Future
Speech time
The present moment
(Angela Downing & Philip Locke, 1995: 354)
Further more, we may also need to locate situations relating to some other
reference point, for example:
Have you a moment? I want to ask you something.
Have you a moment? I wanted to ask you something.
Here, the choice of present or past tense depends on the speaker’s attitude.
The present tense is more direct. The past tense is more distant. It makes the request
more tentative and polite. (Eastwood J., 1994: 78)
With the above- mentioned, we can see that time is shown by means of the
category of tense. Tense is any forms of a verb that may be used to indicate the time
of the action or the state expressed by the verb. English has category of tense, and
… Tense can be defined as the linguistic expression of time relations when
these are realized by verb forms. Time is independent of language, and is common
to all human beings… (Angela D. & Philip L., 1995:353).
1.2. The meaning of Aspect
Aspect is concerned with the internal character of the event as it is presented
by the speaker; it focuses on such contrasts as durative (extending in time) or non-
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1.3.2. Imperative Mood
The imperative mood serves to express request which in different contexts
may range from categorical order or command or entreaties. Imperative mood is
used only in the second person singular and plural. The imperative mood can take
over the function of the subjunctive mood.
1.3.3. Subjunctive mood
The formal mark of the subjunctive is the absence of inflection for the third
person singular except in the verb to be, where it has full conjugation. In Modern
English the subjunctive is almost out of use except a few well- established phrases
such as:
Long live peace and friendship among nations!
( Jeff C., Stacy M., 2003:270)
1.4. An overview of English tenses
From the above points of view, it is clear that time and tense are different
but they have relationship with each other, and we can use tenses to express time in
English. But how to express time with tenses?
Many English learners worry too much about tense. If you stopped 100
native speakers in the street and asked them about tense, one of them might you an
intelligent answer if you were lucky. The other 99 would know little about terms
like past perfect or present continuous. And they would know nothing about
aspect, voice and mood.
(http://www.vns.edu.vn/vns/contents/view/175/177/lang,en/,1
st
, May 2010)
Even to the native speakers, tense is very poorly understood like this. Up to
now, after hundred years of investigation and research by students of meaning,
grammar, logic, and philosophy toward understanding tense, it remains the case that
of the many accounts which have been given of it. ( Robert I. B, 1991). But nobody
can deny the role of tenses in time expression in English.
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First, as its name implies, simple present tense indicates actions occurring
in the present. Let’s see the following examples,
The moon is full tonight. (Patricia M., 2001: 79)
Next, the simple present tense can be also used for statements generally
regarded as true, regardless of time (something happens all the time or is true in
general), for instance:
The moon travels around the earth and the earth and moon together
around the sun. (Chautauqua, 1896: 79)
Then, the simple present also indicates habitual, repeated, customary or
permanent actions or conditions, for example:
I drink one cup of coffee in the morning and one at night…enough to
keep me awake for a little while. (Walter C. R., 1929: 130)
The post office is open at seven in the morning and shuts at 6 in the
evening. ( Goby and Thomas. H, 1815: 250)
Last, the simple present tense narrates single events (quoting from books,
notices, letters, formal declaration, proclamations, and concise announcement of a
scheduled event, demonstrations, sports commentaries). Let’s see the following
example:
And the batter hits the ball into the outfield for another home run for
the Yankees. (Andrea D., 2008: 169)
1.4.1.2. Present continuous tense
In English, the present continuous tense in used in the following situations:
Firstly, the present continuous is used in situations that are temporary for
action happening exactly now, for example:
She is eating her lunch, struggling with some applesauce.
(Camie. M, 2002: 17)
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There exist six tenses to talk about the past in English. They are simple past
tense; past continuous tense; present perfect tense; past perfect tense; present perfect
continuous tense and past perfect continuous tense.
1.4.2.1. Simple past tense
First, we use the simple past tense to talk about state or event that happened
in the past and in completed or finished, for instance:
I called her this morning to remind her. (Robb J. D., 2006:15)
Next, the simple past tense is used to talk about an event with duration that
applied in the implication that it no longer applies in the present. Let see the
following example:
He was in the army for 4 years and served in Vietnam. He now owns
his own leather shop, the “PIKES PEAK SADDLERY’ in Colorado
Springs. (Robert L. W.& Margaret A. G. W., 1988: 43)
Then, we also use the simple past tense to talk about habitual or repeated
actions in the past, for example:
He went to Pilgrimage many times. (Attarde I. P., 2007: 257)
Last, the simple past tense is used to narrate successive actions or events.
Look at the following examples:
At first, German troops defeated Russian soldiers, captured many
towns and advanced deep into Russian. Then in 1942 and 1943, the
Russian army struck back and started to drive the Germans out of
Russian. An army consisting of American, Canadian, British and
other allied troops invaded France.
(Alan E. & Thelma B., 2004: 100).
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The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked around the room,
then she put them up and looked out under them. (Mark T., 1992: 2)
1.4.2.2. Past continuous tense

(Jeff. C, Stacy. M, 2003: 96)
Fourthly, the present tense is used for the action happened before now, but
it could be repeated in the present or future time, for example:
I have read that book several times, and it made impression on me
which no other book ever did. (Church, M., 1843: 94)
1.4.2.4. Past perfect tense
First, the past perfect tense is used for an action completed in the past prior
to some other past event, for instance:
The building had burnt completed by the time the fire department
arrived. (Sarah S. T, 2004: 206)
Next, we use the past perfect tense for an action or stare that occupied or
occurred in duration of time before the second action happened in the past, for
instance:
She had studied English for 6 years before he moved to Cambridge,
Massachusetts, at the age 33, where he lived with another Costa
Rican couple. (Suansanm. G, Larry. S, 2001:334)
And, the past perfect tense is used for recent past action with results in the
present, for example:
Tom had had a bad crash. (Jeff. C, Stacy. M, 2003: 96)
1.4.2.5. Present perfect continuous tense
Firstly, we use the present perfect continuous tense for temporary state or
event or action leading up to the present time, for instance:
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I have been reading this book for 2 hours. ( I am still reading now).
Secondly, the present perfect continuous tense is used for temporary habit
leading up to the present time. Look at the following examples:
She has been taking swimming lessons since last month.
I have been playing chess, collecting, and reading chess books for 3

perfect tense; future perfect continuous.
When we talk about plans which are arranged for a particular time in the
future, we use the present continuous tense.
The simple present tense is used to express timetables, programmes, and
fixed plans.
The structure be going to + Infinitive is used to talk about intention that
already decided in near future, and prediction future.
We use the simple future tense for a statement or future fact, intention or
decision to do something at the moment of speaking, willingness to do or not to do
something in the future.
When we want to express an action or state which starts before a point of
time and will probably continuous, or to express the future action without intention,
or to describe what we assume someone else is doing at this moment, we use the
future continuous tense.
The future perfect tense is used to talk about something will be completed
when considering from a point in the future.
We use the future perfect continuous tense to show the duration of an
activity or state, or to describe an activity leading up to a time in the future.
There still exist some other ways to express the future in English by using
the structures to be to + Infinitive (to express an action will be formed), to be due
to + Infinitive (to express arrangements), to be about to + Infinitive (to refer to
something that will happen very soon), to be on the point of + gerund or noun (to
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refer to something that will happen in the very immediate future); or using some
certain verbs like plan, decide, hope, propose; or using subjunctive mood; or using
modal verbs ( may, might, can, could, should)…
However, a detailed discussion of the ways of expressing future in English
will be discussed in chapter II.

(1995) adds be about to and be to and Nehls (1988) states that all modal
auxiliaries, as well as hope, expect and promise, can also be used to express future
time.
From the above category, in this chapter, the main ways of expressing the
future time in English will be presented. They are be going to + infinitive; present
continuous tense; simple present tense; simple future tense; future continuous tense;
future perfect tense; future perfect continuous tense; and some other ways.
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2.1. Be going to form
This is a common way of expressing future time.
I called my aunt last night and I’m going to see my parents on
Saturday. (Water. H, Arthur. W, 1906: 7403)
However, be going to also has other uses:
Firstly, we use be going to form to express a prediction based on a present
situation or the speaker’s certainty, for instances:
I think I am going to sick anyway. I felt my throat close as if I had
gulped back-tasting medicine. (Kim. G, 2004: 159)
At present, I felt my throat close so in the future I might be sick.
Secondly, we also use this structure to express the speaker’s intention. Let’s
see the following examples:
He’s going to buy protection for some one against his death, and he
is going to pay for it. (Water H.& Arthur W., 1906: 7403)
The action buy protection and pay for it is decided before near future.
2.2. Present continuous tense
We use the present continuous tense to talk about plans that are arranged for
a particular time in the future.
This construction is used very often with verbs of movements such as come,
go, leave, arrive, start, travel, drive, and fly…, for example:

be certain fact or uncertain fact. Look at the following examples:
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They will strike their blow tomorrow evening end, conquerors or
conquered. They’ll be here on Monday morning. (actions happened
as certain facts.). (American periodicals, 1858: 398)
I believe it’ll rain tomorrow but I also know I might be wrong.
(uncertain fact). (John Ester, 1899: 398)
Secondly, we can use the simple future tense to show an intention or
decision to do something at the moment of speaking, for example:
Just wait a minute until I can get down there, and I’ll open the door
for you. (Making of America project, 1906: 2000)
I’ m hungry! I will get up and get something to eat.
(David P., 2000:715)
All actions open the door and get up, get something to eat are intended or
decided to do at the moment of speaking.
Thirdly, the simple future tense is used to show willingness to do or not do
something in the future (often as a promise or a threat), for example:
When I leave, I will give your woman servant a chocolate and if you
give me two florins, I will buy you a book and your servant can come
and fetch it at my place. (a promise). (Mai F. M., 2007:128)
But I give him a warning that, if he doesn’t pass this in the book we
are now together, I will never speak to him again. ( a threat).
(Genevieve W. & Richard W., 1918: 59)
Besides, the simple future tense can be used in request. Look at the
following example:
Will you do something for me? (Betty S. A,, 1999: 53)
Lastly, we can use negative of Will: “Won’t” in invitation.
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2.6. Future perfect tense
The future perfect tense express an activity that will be completed before
another time or event in the future. (Note : by the time introduces a time clause; the
simple present is used in a time clause). Let’s see the following examples:
By the end of next month, he will have lived here for 10 years.
(Otto J., 1933: 52)
I will have finished my homework by the time I go out on a date
tonight. Betty S. A, 1999: 62)
2.7. Future perfect continuous tense
We use the future perfect continuous tense with for to talk about the duration
of an activity or state up to a time in the future.
By the course ends, I will have been studying English for ten months.
(Lin L. & Lynn L., 2002:156)
Besides, we also use the future perfect continuous to describe an activity
leading up to a time in the future.
Because members will have been working hard, the last 15 to 30
minutes should be spent in some way that is reinforcing. This should
be in the form of refreshments and a game.
(Richard A. W. & Vincent J. G., 1990: 532)
2.8. Others ways to express the future
According to Betty. S. A., 1999, apart from the above expression, there are
still several ways used to express future time in English as follows:
2.8.1. To be to/ be due to/ about to/ on the point of/ be sure to or be bound to
a. To be to + Infinitive
We use this structure to express an action will be formed, because of the
requirement, responsibility, an order or a plan, for example:
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Next week, the Prime Minister is to go to Europe.

green tree park here.
2.8.3. Subjunctive mood
Firstly, the subjunctive mood is used for conditions contrary to fact. A
condition that cannot be true is known as a condition contrary to fact, for example:
If I were ten year younger, I would remarry. (Eugene H. E :47)
The present of a condition is signaled by the condition If because the
condition is contrary to fact the subjunctive mood were is used.
Secondly, the subjunctive mood is used in that clause. Clauses introduces
by that or clauses in which that is implied frequently express wishes,
recommendations, demands , orders, formal motions, or parliamentary resolutions.
Consider the following sentences:
I wish that I were Prime Minister. (Recommendation)
We ask only that the guiltiest be punished. (an order)
(Eugene H. E.,1997: 48)
In that clauses, the pronoun that can be omitted from the first three of the
preceding sentences without changing meaning and without altering the require for
employing the subjunctive mood.
Thirdly, the subjunctive mood is used for idiomatic expressions. The
English language has certain constructions that remain fixed in the subjunctive
mood. These idiomatic constructions include: be it said, come what may, God bless
you, far be it from me, and suffice it to say.
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2.8.4 Modal verbs
Some modal verbs are used to express possibilities, recommendations,
intentions, and advice as follows:
First, we use must when we are totally 100% sure that something is the
case, for example:
She must be here by now.