近い将来
形状
近い将来を述べる場合、三つの要素から成るパターンを使うことが出来ます：
現在時制に見合った動詞 "to be" + about + 主動詞の不定詞
| 主語 | + to be | + about (または just about) | + 不定詞 |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | about | to be sick |
| They | are | about | to arrive. |
| It | is | just about | to explode. |
To leave、近い将来に
| 肯定文 | 否定文 | 疑問文 | 否定疑問文 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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? |
機能
このパターンは、話している瞬間のすぐ後を指し、出来事や行動が今すぐ起こることを強調しています。行動の即時性をより強調するためにjustという言葉を aboutの前に加えることがよくあります。
例
- 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.
このパターンは、現在形の位置に単純過去形のto beを置き、行動がまさに起ころうとしていたが中断されたことを述べるのにも使えます。このパターンの後に、whenで始まる文節が続くことがよくあります。
例
- 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.