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I found an interesting explanation about the above two phrases. It said

I'll go out soon

may include a little offensive feelings of the speaker, whereas

I'll be going out soon

does not.

For example when asked, "Can I talk with you for a minute?", if you answer, "Sorry, I'll go out soon" implies you are a little irriated and bluntly refuse. Conversely, the answer "Sorry, I'll be going out soon" gives you the impression that the speaker kindly refuses to talk because some unavoidable thing happened.

Do these explanations make sense?

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3 Answers 3

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“I’ll go out soon” just does not sound like something a native English speaker is likely to say. It’s not idiomatic.

If you use leave instead of go out, it works better, but you would still be much more likely to hear it without soon at the end in the simple future (though it sounds very natural in the progressive future).

The difference in contextual meaning of these two types of future construction are far too nuanced and complex to boil down to just whether or not there is any kind of offence or resentment present in the speaker; so the answer to your question as a universal defining feature is no.

However, it is true that if you want to express resentment or irritation, it is quite likely that you will use the simple future, rather than the progressive future, at least within the type of context and verb that you’ve given here.

Thus, for example, the first hypothetical context for “I’ll leave” (a more idiomatic version of “I’ll go out soon”) that immediately came to my mind when I read your title was indeed one that can easily include some amount of irritation on the part of the speaker.

Imagine that you’re at work, and a colleague comes in and asks whether she can have her meeting with some client in the room where you are currently doing some work. Using the two versions of the same answer based on your question, you could then answer:

Sure; I’ll leave.

– or:

Sure; I’ll be leaving soon.

In the first case, you are saying that you will change your original plans in order to accommodate her and allow her to have her meeting in there: you had originally planned to stay in there working, but since she wants to have her meeting there, you’ll move somewhere else instead. This can be said quite neutrally, but it is very easy to instil some resentment into it as well (“Fine! If it’s so important to you, then I guess I’ll just go do my important work somewhere else!”) without changing anything much. A slight pause, a hint of curtness—that would do it.

In the second case, on the other hand, the implication is that you’re almost done with your working, so you were leaving anyway in a moment, and then the room will be free for your colleague to have her meeting in. Of course, it’s always possible to instil a tone of resentment into anything you say, but it’s much less likely with this construction. You’d have to do more than just add a slight pause for it to work.

So to some extent there is truth in the logic behind the explanation you’ve seen; but you cannot take it as a general guide to the difference between the two types of future constructions.

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  • So probably when you say, "I'll be leaving soon.", you're thinking about it in your head right now, which will convey the feeling that you're almost done with your work and is trying to leave the room. That's how I think.
    – Akihiro
    Commented Jan 28, 2017 at 15:33
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Your example sets up a rejection, as both of your answers say no to the request. It is not the words themselves, "I'll go out soon," but the context that makes the phrasing of that choice colder.

Saying no when asked, "Can I talk with you for a minute?" is rejecting the request. Whether you must go out, will go out, are in that process, or ought to be leaving if not for the request that slows you down, you are saying you do not have the time. That is a reasonable response.

Of the two choices, it is softer to say "I'll be going out soon" because you imply that you would stay and talk if not for needing to leave. It is more blunt to say "I'll go out soon" because you express the I will part as a fact.

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Whether or not it sounds rough, I guess it will depend on the expression one makes when saying these sentences. And also, there are a few complements that can be added so that you won't sound a little rough:

Oh! I'll go out soon.

I can't! I'll go out soon.

I wish I could, however I'll go out soon.

There many ways you can make your statement sound not rude.

Well, indeed, I'll be going out soon is used in a more formal way, (Although there are no differences, except for "be going out soon", which means movement). This question has already been asked in here couple times, I can't find any specific topic that adresses the same situation, however, think of: Be going out as a movement action, while Go out is a direct action. I don't know whether there is a specific rule for using both, but it seems you can use both interchangeably. Check out the examples below:

I will work tomorrow

It means you will work tomorrow, it may be in morning, afternoon or evening, it only implies to say that you will work, but doesn't imply to say how many hours you will work tomorrow.

I will be working tomorrow

It certainly implies to say that you will work tomorrow, and although how much you will work hasn't been mentioned, it sounds a lot that you will spend the whole day working.

I will move to Japan tomorrow.

It means you will move to Japan tomorrow, it's already planned, you will already be in Japan before the end of tomorrow.

I will be moving to Japan tomorrow.

It means you will be moving, you don't exactly know whether or not you will have arrived Japan before tomorrow is over.

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  • But if you offer to reschedule and give real time when you can talk for a minute, you show yourself as a good person and no one is offended. Commented Jan 26, 2017 at 13:38
  • @VladimirMarkiev - Yeah, there are many ways to sound kind, adding complements makes it much easier, but it depends, sometimes people don't really want to talk, they just don't want to sound rude, scheduling a specific time to talk may sound like a lie, if you don't want to. Haha
    – A.Cool
    Commented Jan 26, 2017 at 14:00
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    Yes, that's what I meant, if you don't want to sound rude, add something in the end. But if you don't want to talk, you also may add something good in the end. Though, you will have to deal with it again next time.) Commented Jan 26, 2017 at 14:03

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