EnglishClub TEFL Forums (archived)

I had assessed some exercises in the English Olympiad in my Country and had an argument about the following sentence. Students had to put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense.
I need to be quick, my train ( leave) in 10'. What is the correct form of future?
leaves or is leaving?

Why? The majoritatea of teachers decided that leaves is correct as is the train time table. I claimed that since he was on a hurry he is either descriind the situation or His personal plan. What is the correct explanation?

Both are correct:

1. My train leaves in 10 minutes.

We use present simple to talk about timetabled events, like trains and flights.

2. My train is leaving in 10 minutes.

We use present continuous to talk about future arrangements at a fixed time. We usually say (or understand from the context) who the arrangement is made with.

The only slightly strange thing here is that it's normally a person who makes an arrangement - it's difficult for an object like a train to make an arrangement. So it would probably be more common to say something like:

I'm leaving in 10 minutes.

So for this reason I would say that "My train leaves in 10 minutes" sounds a bit better. But as I said, both are possible.

Hope that helps.

"Leaves" is the only possibility here. As you've said, we are talking about timetables or schedules. It is not our arrangement. The driver or ticket inspector could say Hurry up, we're leaving in five minutes
It's the same as with shops, museums etc.
The butcher's opens at 8. , but Hurry up, People, we're closing in 10 minutes.

My train is leaving in 10 minutes