Different types of future in English: will, be going to, present continuous

1. FUTURE EXPRESSION IN ENGLISH:
WILL / BE GOING TO
I think I will travel to
Japan next year → Far off
future / Uncertain prediction
I am going to study German
at school→ Intention

2. WILL/ BE GOING TO
The Future has different forms in English like 'will' and
'be going to'. They express two very different
meanings as mentioned before.
I will probably go to
Italy next Summer (not
certain or sure)
I am going to fly to
Italy next Saturday
(most probable or
certain)

3. Future Tense: Will→ Form
Affirmative: I will travel to Madrid
Interrogative : Will you travel by bus?
Negative : I will not travel – won’t by bus
Will you travel by train or by bus?
I won’t travel by bus I will probably travel by train

4. 1- Instant / Immediate decisions: I don't
have money! - Ok, I'll pay for the drinks
2-Promises and offers: Don’t worry, I
promise I’ll help you with your homework
3- Predictions based in what we think: It will
rain in the evening (I think, I'm sure, I hope
Perhaps/ Maybe/Probably...)
4- Far off future
Future Tense : Uses of Will

5. Future Tense : Be Going to→
Form
Affirmative: I am going to travel
by plane
Interrogative : Are you going to travel
by plane?
Negative : I am not going to travel
by plane because I am
going to fly in a hot air
balloon

6. Future Tense : Uses of Be Going
to
1- Future intentions: I'm going to buy a
new laptop computer when I finish my
computing course
2- Predictions based in what we can see at
the moment: Look at that car! It is going
to crash into the lamp post

7. PRESENT SIMPLE & PRESENT CONTINUOUS
with future value
The SIMPLE PRESENT and PRESENT CONTINUOUS are also
used to express future time. These are often used in
connection with schedules, timetables and plans.
The train leaves at 6:00 a.m tomorrow. (TIMETABLE)
She is meeting a new client at six o’clock in the evening in town,
and she is travelling by bike through the forest. (FIXED PLAN)

8. FUTURE TENSES
TIME EXPRESSIONS AND OTHER signal words:
1. FIXED PLANS: tonight,tomorrow, next week /
next Saturday... PLACE & TIME (in the gym at
nine o’clock…)
2. FAR OFF FUTURE: One day, In the future, In
the next century, In the year 2050...
3. FUTURE UNCERTAIN PREDICTIONS: I think/
hope/ I'm sure... Probably/Maybe/Perhaps...
4. OBSERVABLE PREDICTIONS: Oh look! / Be
careful! / Watch out!

9. FUTURE CONTINUOUS
This tense is used to describe an event or action in
progress at a specific time in the future.
TIME EXPRESSIONS: (At) this time tomorrow, next
Saturday at 6pm, on Friday at 9pm, …
This time next month, they will be sailing in the Atlantic
ocean

10. FUTURE PERFECT
This tense is used to describe an event or action that
will be completed by a certain time in the future.
TIME EXPRESSIONS: By the year 2020, by the end of
the week/ month/year…
By the end of next week, we will have
finished all our exams

11. FUTURE TENSES: COMPLETE THE SENTENCES
• A: Why are you holding a piece of paper?
B: I …………………….. (write) a letter to my friends back home in
Texas
• A: I'm about to fall asleep. I need to wake up!
B: I (get)………………… you a cup of coffee.
• We are so excited about our trip to France next month. We
………………………. (visit) Paris, Nice and Grenoble. This time next
month, we……………………………… (climb up) the Eiffel Tower!
• I think he …………………. (be) the next British Prime Minister.
• The museum …………………… (open) at ten in the morning.
• By the year 2050, scientists………………………………………...
(discover) the cure for many diseases.
• Oh look! That man …………………...... (steal) that woman’s bag!
• I promise I……………………….... (help) you with your maths
problem.

12. SOLUTIONS:
- am going to write (Intention)
- ‘ll / will get (Immediate decision, offer)
- are visiting (plan) / will be climbing up
(action in progress in the future)
- will be (future prediction, I think…)
- opens (timetable)
- will have discovered
- is going to steal (observable prediction)
- ‘ll / will help (promise)