The Future (Predictions, Decisions and Intentions, Arrangements, Other Future Meanings

The future (Predictions, decisions and intentions, arrangements, other future meanings.
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Future tenses
There are several different ways in English that you can talk about the future. This page is an introduction to the most
important ones:
- Predictions/statements of fact
- Intentions
- Arrangements
- Scheduled events
Predictions/statements of fact
The auxiliary verb will is used in making predictions or simple statements of fact about the future.
 The sun will rise at 6.30 tomorrow.

 Lunch break today will be 10 minutes longer than usual.
 In the year 2050 all students will have their own computers in school.
 If you help me, I will help you.
 Do you think she will come soon?
 You won't pass your exams if you don't start working harder.
 I know my parents won't let me go to the party.
 Will it snow for Christmas?
 I know she's sick, but will she be back in school tomorrow?
Intentions
The auxiliary verb going to is used in talking about intentions. (An intention is a plan for the future that you have
already thought about.)
 We're going to buy a new car next month.

 I'm going to work in a bank when I leave school.
 In the new year I'm going to stop eating so much junk.
 He's not going to go to the dance. He's got too much work.
 I'm not going to watch TV until my science project is finished.
 Are you going to play basketball after school?
 What are you going to have for lunch today?
Note: going to is often used in the past tense to talk about an unfulfilled intention. Examples: I was going to study for my
grammar test, but I had no time. / He was going to call you, but he couldn't find his mobile phone. / My grandmother was
going to visit us, but she fell and broke her arm.
Arrangements
The present continuous tense is used in talking about arrangements. (An arrangement is is a plan for the future that
you have already thought about and discussed with someone else.)
 I'm meeting my mother at the airport tomorrow.

 Our grandparents are visiting us this Christmas.
 Sorry, I can't stay after school today; I'm playing tennis with Jun-Sik.
 My sister's going to the dentist tomorrow.
 I'm not returning home for the holidays, so I can come to your party after all!
 Are you doing anything on Sunday morning?
 Do you know if he is going to the dance with Maiko next week?
Scheduled events
The present simple tense is usually used to refer to future events that are scheduled (and outside of our control).
 Hurry up! The train departs in 10 minutes.

 I leave Frankfurt at 5 o'clock in the morning and arrive in New York
at midnight the next day.
 She has an appointment with the headmaster after school today.

 There's no need to hurry. The train doesn't leave for another 30 minutes.
 When does the meeting begin?
When we know about the future, we normally use the present tense.

1. We use the present simple for something scheduled:
We have a lesson next Monday.
The train arrives at 6.30 in the morning.
The holidays start next week.
It's my birthday tomorrow.
2. We can use the present continuous for plans or arrangements:

I'm playing football tomorrow.
They are coming to see us tomorrow.
We're having a party at Christmas.
3. We use will:
 when we express beliefs about the future:

It will be a nice day tomorrow.
I think Brazil will win the World Cup.
I'm sure you will enjoy the film.
 to mean want to or be willing to:

I hope you will come to my party.
George says he will help us.
 to make offers and promises :

I'll see you tomorrow.
We'll send you an email.
 to talk about offers and promises:

Tim will be at the meeting.
Mary will help with the cooking.
4. We use be going to:
 to talk about plans or intentions:

I'm going to drive to work today.
They are going to move to Manchester.
 to make predictions based on evidence we can see:

Be careful! You are going to fall. (= I can see that you might fall.)
Look at those black clouds. I think it's going to rain. (= I can see that it will rain.)
5. We use will be with an -ing form for something happening before and after a specific time in the future:
I'll be working at eight o'clock. Can you come later?
They'll be waiting for you when you arrive.
6. We can use will be with an -ing form instead of the present continuous or be going to when we are talking
about plans, arrangements and intentions:
They'll be coming to see us next week.
I'll be driving to work tomorrow.
7. We often use verbs like would like, plan, want, mean, hope, expect to talk about the future:
What are you going to do next year? I'd like to go to university.
We plan to go to France for our holidays.
George wants to buy a new car.
8. We use modals may, might and could when we are not sure about the future:

I might stay at home tonight or I might go to the cinema.
We could see Mary at the meeting. She sometimes goes.
9. We can use should if we think there's a good chance of something happening:

We should be home in time for tea.
The game should be over by eight o'clock.
#1 – FOR PREDICTIONS: USE WILL / WON’T OR GOING TO

Predictions, projections, and other ways of guessing or imagining the future can all use WILL/WON’T or
GOING TO (with no difference):
 The economy will
recover quickly.
= The economy is going to recover quickly.
 That team won’t win the game.
= That team‘s not going to win the game.
In the case of first conditional sentences (using IF) we usually use WILL / WON’T:
 If you practice every day, your English will improve fast.
 If you don’t study, you won’t pass the test.
I’m going to study more. I’m not going to procrastinate as much.

#2 – FOR INTENTIONS: USE GOING TO
What’s an “intention”? It’s when you want to do something, but you have not yet taken any definite action.
You can use going to or other phrases for New Year’s resolutions (I hope to, I’d like to, I’m planning to, I might, I’m thinking of):
I’m going to join a gym.
I’m going to read more books.
I’m going to get out of debt this year.
I’m going to start doing some volunteer work.
#3 – FOR PLANS AND ARRANGEMENTS, YOU CAN USE 3 VERB

TENSES:
“Plans and arrangements” means you have already taken some definite action to make this plan a reality in the future.
Here’s the difference:
 Intention:
I’d like to meet with Barbara tomorrow.
(but Barbara and I haven’t decided on a time yet)
 Plan / Arrangement:
I’m meeting with Barbara tomorrow.
I’m going to meet with Barbara tomorrow.
I’ll be meeting with Barbara tomorrow.
(Barbara and I have scheduled a time to meet, so the meeting will definitely happen)
As you can see from the example above, there are 3 verb tenses that are commonly used:
 Going to: We’re going to visit him next week.
 Present Continuous: We’re visiting him next week.
 Future Continuous: We’ll be visiting him next week.
When talking about plans and arrangements, these tenses are essentially the same. However, when using the present continuous for
future use, we usually include the specific time in the future (to avoid confusion with “actions happening at the moment”):
I’m taking an intensive English course.

(right now, at this moment; the course is currently in progress)
I’m taking an intensive English course next month.
(in the future)
#4 – FOR DECISIONS IN THE MOMENT, PROMISES, AND OFFERS, USE
WILL:
“Would you like coffee or tea?” – “I’ll have coffee.”

One of the most common decisions made in the moment is when ordering at a restaurant:
Ordering at a restaurant:
I’ll have the salmon with a side order of vegetables.
I’ll have the chicken salad.
I’ll have a slice of apple pie with ice cream.
Also use WILL when you are offering to help someone, or making a promise:
 I’ll help you with your homework.

= I am offering to help you with your homework.
 We’ll give you a ride to the train station.
= We are offering to take you to the train station.
 I’ll call you at 5:00.
= I promise to call you at 5:00.
 I’ll always love you.
= I promise to love you forever.
“Our flight leaves at 8:00.”

#5 – FOR SCHEDULED EVENTS, USE THE PRESENT SIMPLE:

“Scheduled events” are things like:
Transportation schedules (flights, trains, etc.)

Our flight leaves at 8:00.
Conferences and events (meetings, lectures, classes)
The conference starts next Thursday.
Things that operate on a regular schedule (bank or store opening / closing)
The supermarket closes in 15 minutes.
These are different from “plans and arrangements” because in general, they are things we have no control over.
#6 – FOR ACTIONS THAT WILL BE COMPLETED BEFORE A SPECIFIC
TIME IN THE FUTURE, USE THE FUTURE PERFECT:
Here’s an example:
 Imagine that right now it is 12:00 PM.

 I will leave work at 5:00 PM.
 Before I leave work, I am definitely going finish a project.
So I can say: “By5:00 PM, I will have finished the project.”
Or: “By the time I leave work, I will have finished the project.”
The future perfect is typically used with by and by the time.

Some people call the future perfect “the future in the past” because I am imagining being at a future point (5:00 PM) looking back on an
action that was completed in the past.
“By this time next year, I will have written a book,” for example.

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The future (Predictions, decisions and intentions, arrangements, other future meanings.

 The sun will rise at 6.30 tomorrow.

 We're going to buy a new car next month.

 I'm meeting my mother at the airport tomorrow.

 Hurry up! The train departs in 10 minutes.

at midnight the next day.

 She has an appointment with the headmaster after school today.

When we know about the future, we normally use the present tense.

2. We can use the present continuous for plans or arrangements:

 when we express beliefs about the future:

 to mean want to or be willing to:

 to make offers and promises :

 to talk about offers and promises:

4. We use be going to:

 to talk about plans or intentions:

 to make predictions based on evidence we can see:

8. We use modals may, might and could when we are not sure about the future:

9. We can use should if we think there's a good chance of something happening:

#1 – FOR PREDICTIONS: USE WILL / WON’T OR GOING TO

I’m going to study more. I’m not going to procrastinate as much.

I’m going to read more books.

I’m going to get out of debt this year.

I’m going to start doing some volunteer work.

#3 – FOR PLANS AND ARRANGEMENTS, YOU CAN USE 3 VERB

I’m taking an intensive English course.

“Would you like coffee or tea?” – “I’ll have coffee.”

 I’ll help you with your homework.

“Our flight leaves at 8:00.”

#5 – FOR SCHEDULED EVENTS, USE THE PRESENT SIMPLE:

Transportation schedules (flights, trains, etc.)

 Imagine that right now it is 12:00 PM.

The future perfect is typically used with by and by the time.

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