are vs. will be

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hello everyone

I’d like to ask what I should use in the following sentence – are or will be. Or both options are possible?

The minister said that it is necessary to ensure that by 2011 more than 25% of all cars are of domestic production.

2

Hi,

Both are possible. ‘Are’ states this as a matter of fact and ‘will be’ is more forceful - in other words ‘all cars will be’ and that is what is going to happen.

Alan

3

Thank you very much, Alan.

4

In modern English will is helping verb.This is used with other verbs, but lack conjugations of their own. This is signs of the future tense.
But are signs of the present tense.

5

Hi Pruthiraj,

What is the point you are making?

Alan

6

Hi Alan,
I 've got a doubt here.
Normally we say, Ensure that something is done. ‘will be’ is not correct, here.
So doen’t that apply to the sentence given by Klpno? Or, is there any reason which justifies the use of ‘will be’?

7

Hi Bala,

I wouldn’t say that the use of ‘will’ in that sentence is ‘incorrect’. As I said above, the use of ‘will’ puts a greater emphasis if you like, a promise that something is going to be done.

Alan

8

A woman’s work is never done. Tenses is the most terrible part of speech we have to face.

9

Hi VW,

What on earth do you mean by this -

?

Alan

10

I meant this is a proverb that we can use will be instead of is but our ancestors didn’t use it.

11

Words fail me!!!

12

Oh dear. Why didn’t our ancestors use will be in the proverb A woman’s work is never done?

13

yeah, I got the point, after reading your comment and then the sentence again.
Thanks, Alan.