will future in instructions

Pete   Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:32 pm GMT
Hi!

I've read some instructions with the will future, e.g. "The teacher will guide you, you will write the essay, ..." and now I'm wondering why the will future and not the going to future is used - aren't those actions planned?
Qui   Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:20 pm GMT
That's an interesting question. Does anybody know an answer - or is it so obvious that nobody considers it necessary to answer it?
Robin   Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:10 am GMT
"The teacher will guide you, you will write the essay, ..."

That does not sound like very good English, even if it is grammatically correct.

It sounds almost like a joke character, usually German, saying 'You will enjoy yourself'.

"The teacher will guide you, and help you to write an essay ...."
Guest   Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:01 am GMT
The teacher will guide/help you to write an essay.
Pete   Tue Feb 20, 2007 1:32 pm GMT
But what about the tense?
Guest   Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:12 pm GMT
You will use "simple future" tense in this particular example. "Will + verb" form.
Travis   Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:24 pm GMT
>>I've read some instructions with the will future, e.g. "The teacher will guide you, you will write the essay, ..." and now I'm wondering why the will future and not the going to future is used - aren't those actions planned?<<

This is probably simply a matter of register, as "will" is generally strongly preferred over "going to" in the formal literary register (in which the latter is rarely used) even though "going to" is very common in even formal speech.
Guest   Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:46 pm GMT
going to refers to a near future unlike will. There lies a subtle difference. The teacher is going to help you to write an essay means he will offer his help very soon unless simple future where time limit can be longer, unspecific so to speak.