EXPRESSING THE FUTURE

Ways to express

The future

Ana M. García Pedregosa

Start

Contents

WILL

BE GOING TO

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT SIMPLE

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

FUTURE PERFECT

01

WILL

01

Predictions

I don't think he'll come tonight

• The future simple is used to make predictions that are based on personal judgement, opinion or intuition, and not on present evidence.
• Whether or not the event will happen is not certain.
• Such predictions are often introduced by I think / I don't think:

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

02

Spontaneous decisions

• We use WILL when we are taking a decision at the moment of speaking

I'm cold

I'll close the window.

03

Promises / requests / refusals / offers.

I'll help you with your homework.

• This is sometimes called 'volitional' will. It's about wanting to do something or not wanting to do something in the future.

Will you give me a hand?

I won't go!

02

be going to

01

Plans and intentions

We often use 'be going to' to talk about our future intentions and plans. We have usually made our plans before the moment of speaking.

- We've run out of milk. - I know. I'm going to buy some.

02

Predictions

It's possible to use both 'be going to' and 'will' but it's more common to use 'be going to' if we can see evidence in the present.

The sky is getting darker and darker. It's going to rain.

03

present continuous

Future arrangements Plans

English speakers often use the present continuous tense to talk about future arrangements. A future arrangement is a plan that you have decided and organised with another person.

• I'm spending Christmas and New Year with my Mum and Dad.
• We're meeting Susan at 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon.

04

PRESENT SIMPLE

The Present Simple can be used to talk about scheduled future events (things that happen according to a schedule or timetable)These events are usually scheduled by someone else and they are usually public events. - What time does the concert begin? - It starts at 7 p.m.

PRESENT SIMPLE Future Time Clauses

When/as soon as + Present Simple + will/be going to

Call me as soon as you arrive. I'll tell my mother when I see her. They will not leave home until it stops raining.

WILL BE GOING TO PRESENT CONTINUOUS PRESENT SIMPLE

05

future continuous

Actions in progress at a certain time in the future:I will be teaching English tomorrow at 9 a.m.Future plans and arrangements (=present continuous / be going to)We'll still be working tomorrow at 10 p.m.

06

future PERFECT

Future perfect

will + have + past participle

To talk about an action that will be completed before another action takes place. She will have learnt Chinese before she moves to China.

To talk about an action that will finish before a certain time in the future. By eight o'clock tomorrow, I will have set off for Japan

To express conviction that something happened in the near past. The guests will have arrived at the hotel by now.

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Lovely class!

Thank you!

anamaria.garcia@edumelilla.es