Omedelbar framtid
Form
När vi talar om den omedelbara framtiden, kan vi använda oss av ett mönster bestående av tre delar:
verbet "to be" i presens + about + infinitivformen av huvudverbet
| Subjekt | + to be | + about (eller just about) | + infinitiv |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | about | to be sick |
| They | are | about | to arrive. |
| It | is | just about | to explode. |
To leave (inom en omedelbar framtid)
| Jakande | Nekande | Frågande | Nekande och frågande |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am about to leave. | I am not about to leave. | Am I about to leave? | Am I not about to leave? |
| You are about to leave. | You are not about to leave. | Are you about to leave? | Aren't you about to leave? |
| He is about to leave. | He is not about to leave. | Is he about to leave? | Isn't he about to leave? |
| We are about to leave. | We aren't about to leave. | Are we about to leave? | Aren't we about to leave? |
| They are about to leave. | They aren't about to leave. | Are they about to leave? | Aren't they about to leave? |
Funktion
Det här mönstret används för att syfta på en tidpunkt omedelbart efterföljande den stund i vilken man talar, och understryker att händelsen eller agerandet kommer att äga rum mycket snart. Vi lägger ofta till ordet just innan ordet about, vilket ger eftertryck åt agerandets omedelbarhet.
Exempel
- She is about to cry.
- You are about to see something very unusual.
- I am about to go to a meeting.
- We are just about to go inside.
- Sally is just about to jump off that diving board.
Det här mönstret kan också användas med imperfekt av to be istället för med presens, för att syfta på ett agerande som var förestående, men som avbröts. Det mönstret följs ofta av en sats som inleds med when.
Exempel
- She was about to leave when Jim arrived.
- When it started to rain, I was about to go out for a walk.
- I was just about to call her when she walked in.
- The car was just about to flip over when he regained control.