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Guest
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| Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 3:14 pm
Post subject: I'm going to go ... |
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I'm wondering if I can use such expression:
"I'm going to go to the theatre"
My friend told me that If I'm using expression "I'm going to"
afterwards I can't use verb "go" and it's better to use sentence "I'm
going to the theatre"
How it is correct?
Thank you,
lado |
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the Omrud
Guest
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| Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 3:27 pm
Post subject: Re: I'm going to go ... |
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spake thusly:
| Quote: | I'm wondering if I can use such expression:
"I'm going to go to the theatre"
My friend told me that If I'm using expression "I'm going to"
afterwards I can't use verb "go" and it's better to use sentence "I'm
going to the theatre"
How it is correct?
|
These two sentences mean something different.
"I am going to go to the theatre" - this tells what I will do in the
future.
"I am going to the theatre" - this tells what I am doing at the
moment.
Confusingly, English also uses the second version in the present
tense as an indication of what I will do in the future, such as
"Tomorrow, I am going to the theatre", which means the same as
"Tomorrow, I am going to go to the theatre".
--
David
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 3:38 pm
Post subject: Re: I'm going to go ... |
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Thank you!!! You resolved our dispute.
Lado |
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Adrian Bailey
Guest
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| Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 6:16 pm
Post subject: Re: I'm going to go ... |
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"the Omrud" <usenet.omrud@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1cf66c4ae7f6d6f89899e2@news.ntlworld.com...
| Quote: | spake thusly:
I'm wondering if I can use such expression:
"I'm going to go to the theatre"
My friend told me that If I'm using expression "I'm going to"
afterwards I can't use verb "go"
|
That's not true.
| Quote: | and it's better to use sentence "I'm
going to the theatre"
How it is correct?
These two sentences mean something different.
|
Maybe.
| Quote: | "I am going to go to the theatre" - this tells what I will do in the
future.
"I am going to the theatre" - this tells what I am doing at the
moment.
Confusingly, English also uses the second version in the present
tense as an indication of what I will do in the future, such as
"Tomorrow, I am going to the theatre", which means the same as
"Tomorrow, I am going to go to the theatre".
|
You do seem to have contradicted yourself here!
I'm trying in vain to think of a situation in which "I am going to the
theatre" 'tells what I am doing at the moment'. I'd say it (almost?) always
refers to the future or, possibly, to a general/ongoing circumstance. If the
event was 'at the moment' I'd say something like "I'm on my way to..." or
"I'm just leaving for..."
Therefore it's fair to say that although it isn't incorrect to use the
construction "I'm going to go to" as a simple statement of fact, it's
uncommon to hear it outside the context of intention or a decision.
"Are you going to London or Brighton?"
1. "(I think) I'm going to Brighton." - future event, previously decided
upon
2. "(I think) I'm going to go to Brighton." - future event, just decided
upon
These are generalisations though, and it's possible to hear such things in
the opposite situations.
Adrian |
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the Omrud
Guest
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| Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 6:50 pm
Post subject: Re: I'm going to go ... |
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Adrian Bailey spake thusly:
| Quote: | "the Omrud" <usenet.omrud@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1cf66c4ae7f6d6f89899e2@news.ntlworld.com...
spake thusly:
I'm wondering if I can use such expression:
"I'm going to go to the theatre"
My friend told me that If I'm using expression "I'm going to"
afterwards I can't use verb "go"
That's not true.
and it's better to use sentence "I'm
going to the theatre"
How it is correct?
These two sentences mean something different.
Maybe.
"I am going to go to the theatre" - this tells what I will do in the
future.
"I am going to the theatre" - this tells what I am doing at the
moment.
Confusingly, English also uses the second version in the present
tense as an indication of what I will do in the future, such as
"Tomorrow, I am going to the theatre", which means the same as
"Tomorrow, I am going to go to the theatre".
You do seem to have contradicted yourself here!
I'm trying in vain to think of a situation in which "I am going to the
theatre" 'tells what I am doing at the moment'. I'd say it (almost?) always
refers to the future or, possibly, to a general/ongoing circumstance. If the
event was 'at the moment' I'd say something like "I'm on my way to..." or
"I'm just leaving for..."
Therefore it's fair to say that although it isn't incorrect to use the
construction "I'm going to go to" as a simple statement of fact, it's
uncommon to hear it outside the context of intention or a decision.
|
I disagree. If I see a friend walking along the road, and glance
enquiring at him, he might say "I'm going to the pub".
If Son is leaving the house, I might ask "What are you doing" and he
could reply "I am going to Jim's house".
Are you going to Scarborough Fair? This isn't a question about
intentions, it's a question about what direction you are travelling
at the time of asking.
--
David
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John Dean
Guest
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| Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 9:39 pm
Post subject: Re: I'm going to go ... |
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the Omrud wrote:
| Quote: | Adrian Bailey spake thusly:
"the Omrud" <usenet.omrud@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1cf66c4ae7f6d6f89899e2@news.ntlworld.com...
spake thusly:
I'm wondering if I can use such expression:
"I'm going to go to the theatre"
My friend told me that If I'm using expression "I'm going to"
afterwards I can't use verb "go"
That's not true.
and it's better to use sentence "I'm
going to the theatre"
How it is correct?
These two sentences mean something different.
Maybe.
"I am going to go to the theatre" - this tells what I will do in the
future.
"I am going to the theatre" - this tells what I am doing at the
moment.
Confusingly, English also uses the second version in the present
tense as an indication of what I will do in the future, such as
"Tomorrow, I am going to the theatre", which means the same as
"Tomorrow, I am going to go to the theatre".
You do seem to have contradicted yourself here!
I'm trying in vain to think of a situation in which "I am going to
the theatre" 'tells what I am doing at the moment'. I'd say it
(almost?) always refers to the future or, possibly, to a
general/ongoing circumstance. If the event was 'at the moment' I'd
say something like "I'm on my way to..." or "I'm just leaving for..."
Therefore it's fair to say that although it isn't incorrect to use
the construction "I'm going to go to" as a simple statement of fact,
it's uncommon to hear it outside the context of intention or a
decision.
I disagree. If I see a friend walking along the road, and glance
enquiring at him, he might say "I'm going to the pub".
If Son is leaving the house, I might ask "What are you doing" and he
could reply "I am going to Jim's house".
Are you going to Scarborough Fair? This isn't a question about
intentions, it's a question about what direction you are travelling
at the time of asking.
|
In the particular case of that song. But it's perfectly possible to have
an exchange:
"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?"
"Bah, decided to give it a miss this year. Are you going?"
You might argue, in line with your earlier post, that "Are you going to
go ..." would be better / more correct / whatever but I've found it
common usage to say "going" instead of "going to go."
The two styles are used interchangeably by many people.
"I'm going to the Theatre on my birthday next month."
"I'm going to go to the Theatre on my birthday next month."
And even when Son is leaving the house and you ask "what are you doing?"
he could as easily reply "I am going to go to Jim's house" as "I am
going to Jim's house."
--
John Dean
Oxford |
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the Omrud
Guest
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| Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 11:33 pm
Post subject: Re: I'm going to go ... |
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John Dean spake thusly:
| Quote: | the Omrud wrote:
Adrian Bailey spake thusly:
Therefore it's fair to say that although it isn't incorrect to use
the construction "I'm going to go to" as a simple statement of fact,
it's uncommon to hear it outside the context of intention or a
decision.
I disagree. If I see a friend walking along the road, and glance
enquiring at him, he might say "I'm going to the pub".
If Son is leaving the house, I might ask "What are you doing" and he
could reply "I am going to Jim's house".
Are you going to Scarborough Fair? This isn't a question about
intentions, it's a question about what direction you are travelling
at the time of asking.
In the particular case of that song. But it's perfectly possible to have
an exchange:
"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?"
"Bah, decided to give it a miss this year. Are you going?"
|
Of course. This depends on whether you accost your mate on the road
to Scarborough, or in the pub a fortnight beforehand.
| Quote: | You might argue, in line with your earlier post, that "Are you going to
go ..." would be better / more correct / whatever but I've found it
common usage to say "going" instead of "going to go."
The two styles are used interchangeably by many people.
"I'm going to the Theatre on my birthday next month."
"I'm going to go to the Theatre on my birthday next month."
And even when Son is leaving the house and you ask "what are you doing?"
he could as easily reply "I am going to go to Jim's house" as "I am
going to Jim's house."
|
I'm not trying to prove that the present tense version is the only
possible one, nor that the better form for the future intention is
"going to go". I am demonstrating that Adrian's suggestion that the
former is unheard in the wild is wrong, wrong, wrongitty wrong.
--
David
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John Dean
Guest
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| Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 12:32 am
Post subject: Re: I'm going to go ... |
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the Omrud wrote:
| Quote: | John Dean spake thusly:
the Omrud wrote:
Adrian Bailey spake thusly:
Therefore it's fair to say that although it isn't incorrect to use
the construction "I'm going to go to" as a simple statement of
fact, it's uncommon to hear it outside the context of intention or
a decision.
I disagree. If I see a friend walking along the road, and glance
enquiring at him, he might say "I'm going to the pub".
If Son is leaving the house, I might ask "What are you doing" and he
could reply "I am going to Jim's house".
Are you going to Scarborough Fair? This isn't a question about
intentions, it's a question about what direction you are travelling
at the time of asking.
In the particular case of that song. But it's perfectly possible to
have an exchange:
"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?"
"Bah, decided to give it a miss this year. Are you going?"
Of course. This depends on whether you accost your mate on the road
to Scarborough, or in the pub a fortnight beforehand.
|
Not at all. I could be sitting in a city centre pub in Oxford on the
Tuesday lunchtime of the second and last day of St Giles Fair, with the
sound of the calliope tinkling through the window, and my mate, on his
way to try the outer scouter, might say "Are you going to St Giles
Fair?" and I could reply "Nah, giving it a miss this year."
--
John Dean
Oxford |
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the Omrud
Guest
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| Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 12:42 am
Post subject: Re: I'm going to go ... |
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John Dean spake thusly:
| Quote: | the Omrud wrote:
John Dean spake thusly:
the Omrud wrote:
Adrian Bailey spake thusly:
Therefore it's fair to say that although it isn't incorrect to use
the construction "I'm going to go to" as a simple statement of
fact, it's uncommon to hear it outside the context of intention or
a decision.
I disagree. If I see a friend walking along the road, and glance
enquiring at him, he might say "I'm going to the pub".
If Son is leaving the house, I might ask "What are you doing" and he
could reply "I am going to Jim's house".
Are you going to Scarborough Fair? This isn't a question about
intentions, it's a question about what direction you are travelling
at the time of asking.
In the particular case of that song. But it's perfectly possible to
have an exchange:
"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?"
"Bah, decided to give it a miss this year. Are you going?"
Of course. This depends on whether you accost your mate on the road
to Scarborough, or in the pub a fortnight beforehand.
Not at all. I could be sitting in a city centre pub in Oxford on the
Tuesday lunchtime of the second and last day of St Giles Fair, with the
sound of the calliope tinkling through the window, and my mate, on his
way to try the outer scouter, might say "Are you going to St Giles
Fair?" and I could reply "Nah, giving it a miss this year."
|
Orl right, orl right, but once again: I am not attempting to prove
that the phrase doesn't have two senses. I am trying to counter the
proposal that it *never* means the present tense version.
--
David
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Wavy G
Guest
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| Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 1:51 am
Post subject: Re: I'm going to go ... |
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Somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout...But there is no
joy in alt.usage.english--mighty "Adrian Bailey" has struck out.
| Quote: | "the Omrud" <usenet.omrud@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1cf66c4ae7f6d6f89899e2@news.ntlworld.com...
spake thusly:
I'm wondering if I can use such expression:
"I'm going to go to the theatre"
My friend told me that If I'm using expression "I'm going to"
afterwards I can't use verb "go"
That's not true.
and it's better to use sentence "I'm
going to the theatre"
How it is correct?
These two sentences mean something different.
Maybe.
"I am going to go to the theatre" - this tells what I will do in the
future.
"I am going to the theatre" - this tells what I am doing at the
moment.
Confusingly, English also uses the second version in the present
tense as an indication of what I will do in the future, such as
"Tomorrow, I am going to the theatre", which means the same as
"Tomorrow, I am going to go to the theatre".
You do seem to have contradicted yourself here!
I'm trying in vain to think of a situation in which "I am going to the
theatre" 'tells what I am doing at the moment'. I'd say it (almost?) always
refers to the future or, possibly, to a general/ongoing circumstance.
|
What about "I'm going to the bathroom." That can mean, I'm on my way to
the bathroom, or I'm "going" right now, lol.
| Quote: | If the
event was 'at the moment' I'd say something like "I'm on my way to..." or
"I'm just leaving for..."
Therefore it's fair to say that although it isn't incorrect to use the
construction "I'm going to go to" as a simple statement of fact, it's
uncommon to hear it outside the context of intention or a decision.
"Are you going to London or Brighton?"
1. "(I think) I'm going to Brighton." - future event, previously decided
upon
2. "(I think) I'm going to go to Brighton." - future event, just decided
upon
These are generalisations though, and it's possible to hear such things in
the opposite situations.
Adrian
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