LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK

ARE YOU READY FOR THE LESSON?

Read to following passage, which as you can guess is all about banking.

Not too long ago, US. banks were offering incentives to entice clients into using ATM machines. No one wanted to use them thought, because machine lack the warmth and personal touch of a human teller. But today, of course, nearly everyone uses ATM machines to get cash, deposit money, or transfer funds. And that’s not only banking innovation. There are other banking services that are rapidly becoming more useful to busy people who do not have the time to go to a bank in person and wait in line to see a teller. Banking by phone allows you as an account holder to check on your balances, make transfer, listen to transaction histories, and much more, all by using your touch-tone phone. You can of course do all of this after the bank has closed, including weekends, online banking offers you the same services by accessing an account online. E-banking, or electronic banking, can be one without cash or checks, you paycheck can be deposited automatically through direct deposit, and your bills can be paid by transferring funds electronically out of your account. You don’t have to write a single check or mail a single statement. Managing your money is simple, too. All you have to do is check your e-statement, daily if you like. isn’t it hard to remember the time when you had to go to a bank and stand in line to do all of this? So who needs cash? you’ve already got your debit card!

ENGLISH UNDER THE HOOD

TOPIC 1: SIMPLE FUTURE VS. IMMEDIATE FUTURE

the simple future (will) and the immediate future (going to…) are the two most common forms of the future tense.

We will eat later. We are going to eat later.

it’ll rain tomorrow it’s going to rain tomorrow.

As you can see, these two tenses can be interchangeable. But in general, going to is less emphatic and more neutral than will, especially for events in the near future.

I'm going to buy a new car. (I've decided to buy a new car, and I'll do it soon.)

I will buy a new car. (more emphatic and insisting. A stronger intention.)

when you want to make a promise or describe an intention or willingness to do something, use will+verb.

Don’t worry. I promise I'll call you when I get home.

I'll be there, no doubt about it.

- also note that will is used for events or activities in the more-distant future.

Jane will retire in twenty years.

Someday the sun will burn out and explode.

*note that shall is also used with verbs to indicate the future, but it’s rare in American English.

FUTURE FORMS:

There are several ways of expressing the future in English. The forms are listed below and will be dealt with in the order which they are given. Students should study them in this order, as otherwise the relationship between them will not be clear.

a)the simple present

b)will+infinitive, used for intention

c)the be going to form

d)the present continuous

e)the” future simple” will/shall+infinitive

f)the future continuous

g)the future perfect

h)the future perfect continuous

for be+infinitive used to express future plans

for be about+infinitive and be on the point of+gerund

note: most of the auxiliary verbs are dealt in previous chapters, but will+infinitive is an essential part of the future, so we have placed it there- it may seem odd that it has been separated from the future simple but logically it seems best to place it before the present continuous and the be going to form.

-THE SIMPLE PRESENT USED FOR THE FUTURE:

this tense can be used with a time expression for a definite future arrangement:

the boys start school on Monday I leave tonight.

Instead of the more normal present continuous tense:

The boys are starting school on Monday. I'm leaving tonight.

Note, however, that in a sentence such as my train leaves at six we are using the simple present for a habitual action. Here, therefore, the simple present present is not replaceable by the continuous...