FUTURE TENSES

Overview:

• Form• Present Continuous

• Going to

• Present Simple

• Will

• Uses

• Time expressions

• Tasks

Form

1. Present Continuous

I’m seeing Jane tomorrow.

HSBC are moving to new premises next year.

2. Going to

We’re going to discuss the new secret deal.

I’m going to email her this afternoon.

3. Present Simple

His plane gets to Heathrow at 11.45.

Our boss retires next year.

4. Will

I’m sure they’ll like the new design.

Great idea! I’ll do it tomorrow.

Uses:

1. Talking about plans or arrangements

I’m meeting Mr Smith next week. He’s arriving on Wednesday.

2. Talking about present intentions

She is going to leave in a month’s time. (Avoid: will)

When are you going to visit us? (=When do you intend to …?)

How much money are you going to offer? (=have you decided to offer?)

3. Making predictions

WILL & GOING TO

I’m sure you will / are going to enjoy your visit to our Head Office.

GOING TO – when there is present external evidence for a future event

Look at the clouds. It’s going to rain.

WILL – when we state our own intuitions

I expect he’ll want to stay in the best hotel. I know what kind of person he is.

Uses:

4. Making promises or offers

- a commitment for the future

Could you lend me $50? I’ll pay you back tomorrow.

I don’t know if I can finish the job by Wednesday but I’ll do my best.

- offer made at the moment of speaking (usually contracted to ‘ll)

I’ll call you tomorrow.

5. A personal opinion, a hope or an expectation

I think / I’ll probably open an office in Paris next year.

6. Official calendars and schedules

The train leaves at 18.44.

Our next planning meeting is on Monday.

What time does the flight arrive?

Time expressions

• tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, on Friday, at the weekend, next week /year, in a few days’ time, in the next five minutes / months

Task: Choose the correct option in each dialogue.

1. A: Are you free next Tuesday morning?B: Sorry. I’ll have / I’m having a meeting with John.

2. A: What are your plans for next year?B: We’ll open / We’re going to open a new factory in Hungary.

3. A: What do you thing of their new marketing campaign?B: I think it’ll probably do well / it’s probably doing well.

4. A: What about tomorrow after work – say, six thirty?B: Ok, I’ll see you / I’m seeing you then.

5. A: As you can see, I’ve been thinking quite a lot about this issue.B: Yes, I see. So what are you going to do / what are you doing?

6. A: It would be nice to see you next week.B: Yes. Are you doing anything / Will you do anything on Wednesday ?

Key : Choose the correct option in each dialogue.

1. A: Are you free next Tuesday morning?B: Sorry. I’ll have / I’m having a meeting with John.

2. A: What are your plans for next year?B: We’ll open / We’re going to open a new factory in Hungary.

3. A: What do you think of their new marketing campaign?B: I think it’ll probably do well / it’s probably doing well.

4. A: What about tomorrow after work – say, six thirty?B: Ok, I’ll see you / I’m seeing you then.

5. A: As you can see, I’ve been thinking quite a lot about this issue.B: Yes, I see. So what are you going to do / what are you doing?

6. A: It would be nice to see you next week.B: Yes. Are you doing anything / Will you do anything on Wednesday ?

Task: Complete this email from a PA to her boss by putting the verbs into a future form. Choose between will and the present continuous. Use contractions where possible.

I’ve booked your flight to Slovenia. You ______ (leave)on Tuesday 3rd at 8.45 in the

morning, so you ______ (arrive) in Ljubljana before lunch. Someone _____ (be) at the

airport to meet you. Your first appointment is with Aleksandar Presekar, and you _____

(meet) him at 1 pm at our local office. He ______ (probably take) you out to lunch.

After lunch you _____ (not/do) anything until 4 pm, so you _____ (have) time to go to

the hotel. You ______ (stay) at the Intercontinental, which is in a very central location.

I _______ (ask) our travel agent to forward the e-ticket to you, and you ____ (have) it

by the end of the week.

Key: Complete this email from a PA to her boss by putting the verbs into a future form. Choose between will and the present continuous. Use contractions where possible.

I’ve booked your flight to Slovenia. You’re leaving on Tuesday 3rd at 8.45 in the morning,

so you’ll arrive in Ljubljana before lunch. Someone will be at the airport to meet you.

Your first appointment is with Aleksandar Presekar, and you’re meeting him at 1 pm at

our local office. He’ll probably take you out to lunch. After lunch you’re not doing /

aren’t doing anything until 4 pm, so you’ll have time to go to the hotel. You’re staying

at the Intercontinental, which is in a very central location.

I’ll ask our travel agent to forward the e-ticket to you, and you’ll have it by the end of

the week.

Task: Put the verbs in brackets into the most appropriate future form: will, be going to and the present continuous.

1. Have you heard the news? Apple is going to buy Shazam.

2. I ________ (meet) Andrea at the airport at 9am next Monday.

3. Do we need more paper? I ________ (get) some.

4. Richard’s just called – he ________ (be) late.

5. Next year ________(be) the company’s centenary year.

6. The taxi driver is terrible. He _______ (have) an accident.

7. In the future, web conferences ________ (probably replace) many international meetings.

8. We _________ (test) the prototype sometime next week.

9. Would you mind waiting for a moment? I ________ (not be) long.

10. Look at those clouds! I think it _________ (rain).

Task: Put the verbs in brackets into the most appropriate future form: will, be going to and the present continuous.

1. Have you heard the news? Apple is going to buy Shazam.

2. I am meeting Andrea at the airport at 9am next Monday.

3. Do we need more paper? I’ll get some.

4. Richard’s just called – he is going to be late.

5. Next year will be the company’s centenary year.

6. The taxi driver is terrible. He is going to have an accident.

7. In the future, web conferences will probably replace many international meetings.

8. We are going to test / are testing the prototype sometime next week.

9. Would you mind waiting for a moment? I won’t be long.

10. Look at those clouds! I think it is going to rain.

Future mix 1: Multiple choice – 10 points.

Future mix 2: Gap-fill – 10 points.