FUTURE TENSES

PROFRA. CITLALLI HIPÓLITO

 There is NO future tense in
English.

How to express the

future then?

There are several ways to express the

future:
1 WILL + Base form of the Verb

(+) I will probably travel to London next year.

(-) I will not (= won’t) travel to London next
year.
(?) Will you travel to London next year?

I WILL (’ll) call

You WILL (’ll) call
He / She WILL (’ll) call
We WILL (’ll) call
You WILL (’ll) call
They WILL (’ll) call
 BE GOING TO
2 (am / is / are + going to + base form of
the verb).

(+) I am going to play football this afternoon.

(-) I am not going to play football this
afternoon.
(?) Are you going to play football this
afternnon? I am going to + V
You are going to + V
He / She / It is going to + V
We are going to + V
You are going to + V
They are going to + V
 PRESENT CONTINUOUS
3 (am / is / are + Vb-ing)

(+) Mary is travelling from Paris to London in

half an hour.
(-) Mary isn’t travelling from Paris to London in
half an hour.
(?) Is Mary travelling from Paris to London in
half an hour?
I am travelling
You are travelling
He / She / It is travelling
We are travelling
You are travelling
They are travelling
 4 PRESENT SIMPLE

(+) The train leaves London at 10:00.

(-) The train doesn’t leave London at 10:00.
(?) Does the train leave London at 10:00?

I leave
You leave
He / She / It leaves
We leave
You leave
They leave
 PREDICTIONS: Will / Going to

WILL GOING TO
Based on WHAT WE THINK OR Based on PRESENT
IMAGINE. EVIDENCE.

Look at those clouds!

It is going to rain!
I think you will be a
great computer
operator one day
 PREDICTIONS: Will / Going to

WILL EXAMPLE
May or may not happen in She works hard. She
the future. will probably be
promoted one day.
We are NOT SURE.
With the verbs: THINK /
EXPECT / BELIEVE / HOPE.
With the expressions: BE SURE
/ BE AFRAID.
With the adverbs: PROBABLY /
PERHAPS, CERTAINLY.
DECISIONS / ACTIONS: WILL / GOING TO

WILL GOING TO
Actions we are NOT SURE Actions we ARE SURE about
about or HAVEN’T DECIDED or HAVE ALREADY DECIDED
TO DO YET. TO DO in the near future.

We will probably travel They are going to get

round the world one married in 3 months.
day.
 DECISIONS: WILL

WILL
ON-THE-SPOT-DECISIONS – Decisions taken at the moment of
speaking.

I don’t know how to use

Don’t worry! We will this camera!!
help you!
 PLANS: GOING TO

GOING TO
PLANS / INTENTIONS / AMBITIONS we have for the future or
near future. We have already decided BUT we don’t know if it
will finally happen or not.
(“És la meva intenció, però no sé si passarà realment o no”)

I’m going to fly to Belgium

next summer.
I am going to practise hard
to become a rock star!
 OTHER USES of WILL

WILL EXAMPLE
Express HOPES. I hope I will pass my exam.

Express THREATS or Be quiet or I’ll send you out.

WARNINGS.
 OTHER USES of WILL

WILL EXAMPLE
Express PROMISES. I promise I will study hard.

I’ll have another cup

Express OFFERS and of coffee, please!

REQUESTS.
 FIXED ARRANGEMENTS: PRESENT
CONTINUOUS
PRESENT CONTINUOUS EXAMPLE
Sorry, I’m playing tennis
Express FIXED on Monday, but I’m not doing
anything on Tuesday.
ARRANGEMENTS for the
near future.
We have ALREADY
DECIDED and ARRANGED
our plans to do in the
future.
 TIMETABLES: PRESENT SIMPLE

WILL EXAMPLE
Talk about
-TIMETABLES My train leaves in 15 minutes!
-PROGRAMMES
-SCHEDULES
 TIME EXPRESSIONS:

• TOMORROW
• THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
• NEXT WEEK / MONTH / YEAR
• SOON
• TONIGHT
• IN A WEEK / IN A MONTH / IN A YEAR, etc.
 REMEMBER!
PLANS /
PREDICTIONS TIMETABLES
INTENTIONS
QUICK DECISIONS PROGRAMMES ARRANGEMENTS
PREDICTIONS
BASED ON
PROMISES SCHEDULES
EVIDENCE

PRESENT
WILL + V BE GOING TO + V PRESENT SIMPLE
CONTINUOUS
 PRACTICE!
Choose the right way to express the future in
the following situations.
SITUATION 1 SITUATION 2 SITUATION 3

You’re thirsty, Oh no! He really

We (not be) back late.
aren’t you? I (get) (paint) the room that
The film (finish) at 10
you a glass of colour?
p.m.
water.

ANSWER
ANSWER ANSWER
We WILL not (won’t) be back late.
I WILL (’ll) get you IS he really GOING TO paint
(PROMISE)
a glass of water. the room that colour?
The film finishes at 10 p.m.
(QUICK DECISION) (INTENTION)
(PROGRAMME)
 SITUATION 4 SITUATION 5 SITUATION 6

In Scotland it (rain)
You should come! We You’re not well. tomorrow. In the
(have) a barbecue I (call) the doctor. south of England it
this weekend! (be) sunny.

ANSWER
ANSWER
ANSWER
We ARE HAVING a barbecue In Scotland it WILL rain
I WILL (’ll) call the doctor. tomorrow. In the south of
this weekend.
(QUICK DECISION) England it WILL be sunny.
(PLAN / ARRANGEMENT)
(PREDICTION)
 SITUATION 7 SITUATION 8 SITUATION 9

My favourite series is
on TV every Tuesday.
It (start) at 7.30 p.m.
Ketchup or
They (visit) some of mayonnaise?
their relatives in
Wales this weekend.
I (have) mayonnaise,
please.

ANSWER ANSWER
ANSWER
They ARE VISITING some of
It STARTS at 7.30 p.m. their relatives in Wales I WILL (’ll) have mayonnaise,
(PROGRAMME) this weekend. please.
(PLANS) (QUICK DECISION)