Modal Verbs and the Expression of Futurity in English, French and Italian

Abstract. This paper compares the uses of (a) the English modal will and the French and Italian future tenses; and (b) be going to, aller (+ infinitive) and stare per. Unlike be going to and stare per, aller can express characteristic behavior {Par exemple, il va s'enfermer chez lui...). The following claim is made: will and the two future tenses basically express a relation of implication, while be going to, stare per and aller (metaphorically) express a movement in time; the fact that aller (unlike its two counterparts) can express implication is due to the characteristics of the French aspectual system.