Die direkte Zukunft
Form
Wenn wir über die direkte Zukunft berichten, können wir die formelle Konstruktion aus drei Teilen benützen:
Das Verb "to be" im Präsens + about + Infinitiv des Hauptverbs
| Subjekt | + to be | + about (oder 'just about') | + Infinitiv |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | about | to be sick |
| They | are | about | to arrive. |
| It | is | just about | to explode. |
To leave, in der direkten Zukunft
| Bejahend | Verneinend | Frage | Negative Frage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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? |
Funktionsweisen
Dieses Muster bezieht sich auf eine Zeit direkt nach der Aussage und betont, daß eine Handlung oder ein Ereignis sehr bald geschehen wird. Häufig fügt man just vor about ein und betont damit die Unmittelbarkeit der Handlung.
Beispiele
- 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.
Dieses Muster kann mit dem 'simple past' von 'to be' an Stelle des Präsens verwendet werden, um sich auf eine unmittelbar bevorstehende aber unterbrochene Handlung zu beziehen. Dieses Muster wird häufig mit when eingeführt.
Beispiele
- 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.