Future Forms
Future Simple
- · Decisions taken at the moment of speaking “It’s cold in here. I’ll turn on the heating”
- · Hopes, fears, threats, offers, promises, warnings, predictions, requests, comments with expect, hope, believe, I’m sure, I’m afraid, probably “I hope he’ll like his birthday present”
- · Actions or predictions which may (not) happen in the future “She’ll probably win
- · Actions which we cannot control and will inevitable happen “The baby will be born after Christmas”
- · Things we are not yet sure about or we haven’t decided to do yet “Maybe I’ll buy a car”
- · Shall is used after I/we in questions, suggestions, offers or when asking for advice “Shall we play tennis?”
Be going to
- · Actions intended to be performed in the near future “I’m going to buy some new clothes next week”
- · Planned actions or intentions “Now that she’s rich, she’s going to travel round the world”
- · Evidence that something will definitely happen in the near future “It looks like the plane is going to take off now. I think I’m going to be sick”
- · Things we are sure about or we have already decided to do in the near future “They are going to offer the job to Ann. (It has been decided)”
Expressions for Future Simple and To be Going to: tomorrow, tonight, next week/month, in two days, the day after tomorrow, soon, in a week.
Future Continuous
- · Actions in progress at a stated future time “I’ll be skiing in the Alps this Christmas”
- · Actions which are the result of a routine “I’ll be going to the bank tomorrow”
- · When we ask politely about people’s arrangements to see if they can do something for us or because we want to offer something to them “Will you be driving into town this afternoon? Can you give me a lift? “
- · Will is used to express offers, threats, promises, predictions, warnings, requests, hopes, fears, on-the-spot decisions, comments (mainly with think, expect, believe, I’m sure, hope, know, suppose, probably) “I’m sure John will pass his driving test”
Future Perfect
- · Action finished before a stated future time “They will have finished building their house by May”
- · By or not… until (usually in negative) are normally used with Future Perfect “She will have written it by next week. She won’t have finished until tomorrow”
Expressions: before, by, by then, by the time, (until is used only in negative sentences with this tense)
Future Perfect Continuous
- · Duration of an action up to a certain time in the future “By this time next month he will have been studying the piano for 2 years”
Expressions: by… for
Present Simple with Future meaning
- · Timetables/programs “The boat leaves at 8 o’clock in the morning”
Present Continuous with Future meaning
- · Fixed arrangements in the near future “I’m having dinner with Jane this evening. (It’s a date)”