Unit 5: Function: Expressing Promise : cours 1 Bac SM

1Course Objectives

This section outlines what students are expected to achieve by the end of this lesson on expressing promises. These objectives guide the entire learning process and align with the official Moroccan curriculum for 1st Year Baccalaureate.

By the End of This Lesson, You Will Be Able To

Objective 1

Recognise and interpret promises in both spoken and written English, understanding the speaker's or writer's intent to commit to a future action.

Objective 2

Formulate grammatically correct promises using the key exponents: I will / I won't, I promise (that) + clause, I promise to + infinitive, I give you my word, and I swear .

Objective 3

Differentiate between a promise, a prediction, and an offer, three functions that all use will but carry different communicative meanings.

Objective 4

Respond appropriately to promises, whether by expressing acceptance, trust, or polite doubt, using suitable phrases in context.

Objective 5

Adapt your register — formal or informal — to match the social situation in which a promise is made (e.g., a written pledge vs. a spoken assurance between friends).

Objective 6

Avoid common grammatical errors when forming promises, including incorrect verb forms after will and to, and errors in shifting tense during reported speech.

These six objectives are interconnected. Mastering recognition (Objective 1) helps you understand authentic texts and dialogues. Mastering production (Objective 2) allows you to communicate commitments accurately. Objectives 3, 4, and 5 develop your communicative competence — the ability to use the right language in the right context — while Objective 6 ensures grammatical accuracy, which is essential for written and oral assessments at the 1st Year Baccalaureate level.

	$Objective$	$Skill Type$	$Assessment Focus$
$1$	$Recognise and interpret promises$	$Receptive (Reading / Listening)$	$Comprehension questions$
$2$	$Formulate promises using key exponents$	$Productive (Writing / Speaking)$	$Grammar & accuracy$
$3$	$Distinguish promise / prediction / offer$	$Analytical$	$Multiple choice / gap fill$
$4$	$Respond to promises appropriately$	$Interactive / Productive$	$Dialogue / role-play$
$5$	$Adapt formal vs. informal register$	$Sociolinguistic$	$Writing tasks$
$6$	$Avoid common grammatical errors$	$Accuracy$	$Error correction exercises$

Overview of course objectives, skill types, and assessment focus for the lesson on Expressing Promise.

Before studying the function of expressing promises, students should have a solid grasp of a few key grammar areas. This section briefly reviews the essential background knowledge required.

Simple Future with 'will'

Formed with subject + will + base verb. Used to express spontaneous decisions, promises, and predictions made at the moment of speaking. Example: 'I will help you with your homework.'

Simple Future with 'won't'

The negative form: subject + will + not (won't) + base verb. Used to refuse or promise not to do something. Example: 'I won't tell anyone your secret.'

Modal Verb

An auxiliary verb (will, would, shall, can, might...) used to express ability, possibility, intention, or commitment. In promise-making, 'will' is the primary modal verb.

Communicative Function

The social purpose a sentence serves in conversation — agreeing, refusing, advising, promising, offering, etc. Recognizing the function helps choose the correct language exponent.

Reported Speech

When we report what someone said in the past, 'will' shifts to 'would'. Example: She said, 'I will come' \to She said (that) she would come.

Formation: 'will' and 'won't'

Affirmative

Subject + will + base verb \to 'I will call you tomorrow.'

Negative

Subject + won't + base verb \to 'I won't forget your birthday.'

Question

Will + subject + base verb \to 'Will you be there?'

Contraction

'will' contracts to'll in informal speech: 'I'll help you.'

A common difficulty at this level is confusing'will' with'be going to' . Both refer to the future, but they carry different meanings that directly affect whether an utterance sounds like a promise, a prediction, or a planned intention. This distinction is essential before studying how promises are expressed.

$Structure$	$Typical Use$	$Example$
$will + base verb$	$Spontaneous decision / promise / prediction$	$'I will lend you my notes.' (decided now)$
$be going to + base verb$	$Pre-planned intention / evidence-based prediction$	$'I am going to study tonight.' (already planned)$

'will' vs. 'be going to' — key distinction before expressing promises

Basic Sentence Structures for Promises

Simple structure

Subject + will + verb + object \to 'I will return your book.'

With subordinate 'that' clause

'I promise that I will come on time.' — the 'that' clause can be omitted in informal speech: 'I promise I will come on time.'

Negative promise

'I promise that I won't be late.' — committing not to do something.

Students must also recall how reported speech works with promises. When a promise is reported in the past, the modal'will' changes to'would' . This transformation is tested in written comprehension exercises and is directly linked to the grammar of promise-making.

$Direct Speech (Promise)$	$Reported Speech$
$'I will help you,' he said.$	$He promised (that) he would help me.$
$'I won't tell anyone,' she said.$	$She promised (that) she wouldn't tell anyone.$
$'We will be there,' they said.$	$They promised (that) they would be there.$

Backshift of 'will' → 'would' in reported promises

Communicative Functions: Quick Reminder

Agreeing

'That's a good idea.' / 'I agree with you.'

Disagreeing

'I don't think that's right.' / 'I'm afraid I disagree.'

Advising

'You should study regularly.' / 'I suggest you practice every day.'

Promising

A separate, specific function — committing oneself to a future action. Requires 'will', 'won't', or a performative verb such as 'promise', 'guarantee', 'swear'.

Quick Diagnostic Check

Statement

Identify the grammatical issue in each sentence and correct it.

Data

a) I am going to call you right now, I promise. b) She promised that she will come, but she didn't. c) I promise I help you with your project.

Method

Apply knowledge of 'will' for spontaneous promises, backshift rule in reported speech, and the need for a modal before the base verb.

Solution

a) 'I am going to call you right now' expresses a pre-planned intention. A spontaneous promise at the moment of speaking uses 'will'. Correction: 'I will call you right now, I promise.' b) The reporting verb 'promised' is in the past, so 'will' must shift to 'would'. Correction: 'She promised that she would come, but she didn't.' c) After the performative verb 'promise' + subordinate clause, a modal is needed before the base verb. Correction: 'I promise I will help you with your project.'

Interpretation

These three errors are the most frequent at this level. Mastering 'will' formation, the 'will \to would' backshift, and the structure 'I promise that + will' prepares students to correctly produce and analyse promises in the upcoming sections.

Prerequisite Checklist

✔ 1

I can form affirmative and negative sentences with'will' and'won't' .

✔ 2

I understand the difference between'will' (spontaneous / promise) and'be going to' (planned intention).

✔ 3

I can build the structure:'I promise that I will + base verb' and its negative form.

✔ 4

I can apply the backshift rule: will \to would in reported promises.

✔ 5

I can recognise communicative functions (agreeing, advising, promising) and distinguish them from one another.

Sur cette page

Dans la classe