Will v./ will be v.~ing?

Will v./ will be v.~ing?

1. We'll be visiting you next Monday. 2. We'll visit you next Monday. Is there any difference between them? Thanks.

I would say there is only a subtle difference in emphasis. The first sentence emphasizes the process of visiting, and might be more likely to be used if you are going on to discuss what will happen during the visit. (We will be visiting you Monday, so we can more about this in person. We will be visiting George, so if you are looking for us, call us at his house.) The second sentence simply states the fact that the visit will take place. (We will visit you on Monday. On Tuesday we will go to the museum, and on Wednesday we will go to the beach.) The difference is slight - in most conversational situations, either sentence could be used.

Yes, elinor, there is a difference -- the usual difference between progressive and non-progressive structures. 1. We will be [in the act of / in the situation] of doing some visiting with you next Monday. The time period of visiting will be during next Monday. This is a descriptive form. It describes what will be going on. 2. The following event will take place next Monday: We will make a visit to you. This is a fact-stating form. It states the facts of the event as a whole, as if the visit were an item on a schedule of tasks to be accomplished next Monday. The progressive forms express actions and situations as they unfold in time. The non-progressive forms express 'event-facts'. Such-and-such an event will happen. With the future, the progressive is much more likely when the activity has been prearranged. Example: -- Can you go swimming with us next Monday? -- No, because we'll be visiting grandmother then. (You can't easily answer: No, because we'll visit grandmother then.) -- We have to visit grandmother next week. -- OK. Let's get it over with. We'll visit her next Monday. (You can't easily answer: OK. We'll be visiting her next Monday. It sounds like you've already prearranged the visit.)