19

From the grammatical point of view all are correct, just the meaning are different, please bring your clarification, thank you.

  1. The Train will leave at 10:00 tomorrow morning.
  2. The Train is going to leave at 10:00 tomorrow morning.
  3. The Train leaves at 10:00 tomorrow morning.
  4. The Train is leaving at 10:00 tomorrow morning.
Improve this question
5
  • Possible duplicate of Differences between ways to express future actions. Also related: Simple Present for Future Actions, Present tense for future events, What tense should be used here?, and a whole bunch of others. Just search the site.
    – RegDwigнt
    Commented Feb 26, 2012 at 17:28
  • @RegDwight: In this particular case I don't think it's a duplicate. Quite correctly, those other questions include answers dealing with situations where different constructions carry different meanings or connotations. But here we've got a very specific set of alternatives that have no significant differences in meaning. So I think it's a good question as it stands - no disrespect to RiMMER, but I sometimes tire of people thinking every alternative phrasing must somehow have its own unique "meaning".
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Feb 27, 2012 at 1:35
  • 1
    There's also "The train will be leaving at 10:00 tomorrow morning," which means the same as the other four.
    – Peter Shor
    Commented May 2, 2012 at 16:03
  • It's going to leave, you say? I say, will it leave, in fact?
    – Lambie
    Commented Apr 25, 2021 at 16:46
  • The train pulls out at 10:00 tomorrow morning.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Apr 25, 2021 at 18:51

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
6

They're all just stylistic choices, with no difference in nuance of meaning.

The only context where "regular, repeat event" comes into play is when you say something like "The London train leaves at 8 o'clock" - if you don't specify any particular day, the implication is it does so every day (or at least, every week-day - it may leave at a different time, or not at all, on Saturday and/or Sunday).

Improve this answer
2
  • 2
    Re "no difference in nuance of meaning", britishcouncil.org suggests that the difference is that using "leaves" suggests more certainty than using "will leave". Right/wrong?
    – Pacerier
    Commented May 29, 2016 at 15:18
  • 1
    @Pacerier: I can't actually see anything in your link to support that assertion. In normal circumstances The train leaves at 8 and The train will leave at 8 are semantically equivalent - the only reason I can see for supposing that the latter might be more "certain, assertive" is that it then becomes at least possible to place stress on the word will (which definitely makes for a more definitive assertion). But for the general case, I'd say what you're thinking is wrong.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented May 29, 2016 at 15:27
0

From the pedantic grammatical point of view (which should be what you're asking for), ordered from least probable to most probable:

  1. The train leaves at 10:00 tomorrow morning.

    This means that the train always leaves at 10:00 during the morning of the day which is tomorrow. If tomorrow is Wednesday, then this sentence says that the train leaves at 10:00 every Wednesday. It's a planned repeated action.

    The departure is expected as planned, but whether it will really happen is not certain at all.

  2. The train is going to leave at 10:00 tomorrow morning.

    The train is planned for leave at 10 tomorrow morning and everything is currently being done so that it may happen. Whether everything will be successful and the train really leaves is questionable.

  3. The train will leave at 10:00 tomorrow morning.

    Everything has been set up so that the train can leave at 10 tomorrow morning and it is very probable that it will happen.

  4. The train is leaving at 10:00 tomorrow morning.

    The train is definitely leaving at 10 tomorrow and nothing can stop it happening. This is a very strong sentence. If you're a pedant, you would say this for example in a science fiction story where the main character knows the future and is definitely certain that the action will really happen and there's no way it can be avoided.

    In a real-life situation you'd say this for example when your car is broken down and you have to travel, so the only option for you is to take a bus. You'd say: "I'm taking the bus tomorrow as my car is unavailable."

Improve this answer
6
  • 3
    I don't agree your first example. It's quite possible to say, for example, "My son graduates tomorrow afternoon", or "The rocket launches at 10 tomorrow", even though these events are complete one-offs. Come to that, I don't agree any of the distinctions - they're all just stylistic choices, with no difference in nuance. Dammit! Now I'll have to post an answer to that effect!
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Feb 26, 2012 at 17:32
  • 1
    @RIMMER, i strongly agree with your clarification of number 4 and 1. but could you please bring us more example of why the probability of "The train is going to" is less than "The train will"... before i thought "The train am going to" is more likely to happen, since before you had a plan then you used "The train is going to"............. well will is more strong than going to..
    – Danial
    Commented Feb 26, 2012 at 17:47
  • 1
    @Danial: I think you are both completely wrong. The only reason (4) would convey a greater sense of likelihood than any of the alternatives is if you stressed the word[s] is [leaving]. And you could do the same with all the others, by stressing the appropriate word[s].
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Feb 26, 2012 at 20:43
  • 2
    What FumbleFingers said. We have a completely different scheme for quantifying probabilities in English, with many more expressions than there are degrees of probability that people distinguish between. The train is sure to leave ..., The train will definitely leave ..., The train will probably leave..., The train is likely to leave ..., The train may leave..., The train might leave..., It is possible that the train will leave..., The train is unlikely to leave...,
    – Peter Shor
    Commented May 3, 2012 at 14:33
  • 1
    @Pacerier: Yes, but take a look at my first sentence, "what FumbleFingers said". What did he say? "I don't agree to any of these distinctions." and "I think you are both completely wrong." So I am agreeing with him ... the distinctions in terms of likelihood made in this answer are not recognized by native English speakers. I am further pointing out that we have a different way of expressing likelihood in English that native speakers actually recognize.
    – Peter Shor
    Commented May 29, 2016 at 15:42

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.