English Future tenses

There are many ways to talk about the future in

English. We will have a look at three different
forms:
1. Present continuous for future arrangements
2. Be going to
3. Will

1. Present continuous for future arrangements

Use

- Arrangements (things that are going to happen in the future and

that you have already planned).

Structure

- Affirmative: Subject + to be (am, are, is) + verb -ing

- Negative: Subject + to be (am, are, is) + not + verb -ing
- Interrogative: To be (am, are, is) + subject + verb -ing

TIP! How can we distinguish the present continuous from the

present continuous for future arrangements?
Since it is an action that is going to take place in the future, it is used
with temporal expressions that specify that it is not an action that is
happening now but in the future:

at (this afternoon/evening), on (Sunday), in (February), next

week/month, tomorrow, in ten minutes).

I am doing my homework (present continuous)

I am visiting my grandma tonight

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 2. Be going to

Use
- Intentions, plans, decisions (which you have already thought
about, they are not spontaneous).
I am going to Paris next weekend.

- Predictions with evidence.

Look at the sky! It’s going to rain at any moment.

- Things that are about to happen.

Watch out! The bomb is going to explode.

Structure
Affirmative: Subject + to be (am, are, is) + going to + infinitive
Negative: Subject + to be (am, are, is) + not + going to + infinitive
Interrogative: to be (am, are, is) + subject + going to + infinitive
Short answer: subject + to be (am, are, is)

He is going to learn German.

Examples: You are going to learn German.

When using going

He isn’t going to learn German. to, we always
You aren’t going to learn German. conjugate the
verb to be.

Is he going to learn German?

Are you going to learn German?

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 3. Will

Use
- Spontaneous decisions:
I am bored, I’ll have a snack.

- Predictions (with little evidence)

I will be rich, I am sure.

Structure
Affirmative: Subject + will + infinitive
Negative: Subject + will not (or won’t) + infinitive
Interrogative: Will + subject + infinitive
Short answer: Yes + will / No + will not or won’t

I will buy a big house.

He will buy a big house.

Examples: I will not/won’t buy a big house.

He will not/won’t buy a big house.

Will I buy a big house?

Will he buy a big house?

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… To sum up: uses of present continuous for future arrangements,
going to and will
Present Going to Will
continuous
Things that are going Things that you have Things that are going to
to happen in the future the intention to do in happen in the future
and that are fully the future: you have and that you have
arranged: they are thought about them decided at the moment
going to happen before (they are not of speaking:
without any doubt. spontaneous).
Future events

I am travelling to New I am going to travel to

York tomorrow. New York in one I think I will visit
month. grandma today.
= Everything is
arranged: you have = I have thought = I have just decided I
booked the flight and about it, I am will visit my
the hotel and you seriously considering grandmother today.
know what places you it, but it is not
want to visit there. arranged.

Going to Will
Express predictions with evidence. Express predictions without evidence
or with little evidence.
Predictions

It is very cloudy. It is going to rain. I will be rich in the future.

Most of the time, you can use both forms (going to and will)
interchangeably to express predictions:

It is going to rain tomorrow.

It will rain tomorrow.

Things that are about to happen

Going to
Careful, the shelf is going to fall.

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