5
Page 157. Ex. 2 :
1. Prépare la monnaie, on va arriver au péage.
2. Augmente le volume de la télé, les informations vont commencer.
3. Cachez les jeux de cartes, le directeur va arriver !
4. Donne-moi du riz, les mariés vont sortir de l’église.
5. Fermez la fenêtre, il va pleuvoir !
NOTE : In 1, au péage, and in 4, de l’église, are complements of place,
not time. See how in some of the cases the event will happen with
certitude (1, 2, 4?) and in other cases it is less certain (3?, 5).
What is the time limit for « immediately » ?
This simple question borders on philosophy. Usually, it means within a
few seconds, at most a couple of minutes. But it can be lenghtened :
- Alfred Meuran a été arrêté : on va l’interroger. (Maybe in a few
minutes; maybe in a few hours).
- L’énergie nucléaire n’est pas une bonne idée : les déchets radioactifs
vont détruire la terre ! (In several years, maybe in several decades).
In these cases, aller + INF without complement means things that are
going to happen in the future with certitude, but at an uncertain time.