Future Tenses

Class 106 / B1
October 11, 2021
To predict (v.)
A prediction (n.)
 ... your arrangements for this evening.

... your hopes and plans for the rest of the year.

... your predictions for the world for the year 2050.
Tell each
other...
 My daily routine doesn't change very often, so I can usually tell you what I
am going to do every day! My lessons finish at noon today so I will spend
the afternoon planning the lessons for tomorrow. I usually have to cook
dinner but tonight I’m not going to cook because we are eating dinner at
my mother's house. My little daughter probably won’t eat because she is 2
years old and hates all the food I give her.
My thoughts Hopefully, this year will be better than last year, with no more lockdowns
on the future... and fewer cases of COVID-19. It will be an exciting year for me because it
is my first year at Çankaya University teaching new students. So I’m going
to work hard and hopefully all my students will pass their proficiency
exams. 
Later this month, I am turning 40. As I get older, I think about the future
more and more. In 2050 I think the world will be a very different place: it
will be much hotter, and we are probably going to be living in
underground containers because the air is going to be too dirty to breathe.
  I will spend the afternoon planning lessons. WILL

 I’m not going to cook dinner. BE GOING TO

talking about
the FUTURE  We are eating dinner at my mother’s house tonight.
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
 My lessons finish at noon.
PRESENT SIMPLE
 present simple will be going to present progressive

The simple
future
 We use will + infinitive:

⚈ to express a sudden (spontaneous) plan decided at the

moment of speaking.
will ⚈ to express an intention or promise.
(+ infinitive) ⚈ to express a prediction based on opinion or beliefs.
⚈ to make a request or offer.
 to express a sudden (spontaneous) plan decided at the
moment of speaking.

I’m feeling tired. I think I’ll go home now.

will
(+ infinitive)
 to express an intention or promise

will
I have to leave now, but
(+ infinitive)
I’ll call you tomorrow.
 to express a prediction based on personal opinion or beliefs

will
(+ infinitive) I think Snoopy’s team will win
the next World Cup.
 to make a request or offer.

This suitcase is heavy.

Request: Will you help me carry it?
will
Offer: I’ll help you carry it.
(+ infinitive)
 We use be going to + infinitive:

⚈ to talk about future plans decided before the

moment of speaking.
be going to ⚈ to make predictions based on evidence.
(+ infinitive)
 to talk about future plans decided before the moment of
speaking

be going to
(+ infinitive) She’s going to study Spanish
next year.
 to make predictions based on evidence

be going to
(+ infinitive)
Look at those clouds.
It’s going to rain soon!
 We use present progressive

⚈ to talk about plans that are already made and we know

present the time and place.
progressive
(be + verb‑ing)
 to talk about plans that are already made and we know the time and place.
present
progressive
(be +verb‑ing)
I’m starting a new job next week.
 We use present simple

⚈ to talk about scheduled events (TV programmes, bus

times, etc.)
present simple
 to talk about scheduled events (TV programmes, bus times, etc.)

present simple
The plane leaves at 10.15
tomorrow morning.
  “will” is more formal than “going to” and should be
preferred in academic writing:

 The earth will become warmer in the coming years (formal

writing)
 The earth is going to become warmer in the coming years
(conversation)
Note on
usage...
 Affirmative / Negative / Question

+ - ? Short answers

They won’t (will not) Will they bring some Yes, they will.
will They’ll bring some food. bring some food. food? No, they won’t.
Positive / She’s going to buy a She is not going to buy Is she going to buy a Yes, she is.
be going to
Negative / house. a house. house. No, she isn’t.

Question
present
progressive
They are coming next
week.
They are not coming
next week.
Are they coming next
week?
Yes, they are.
No, they aren’t.

present simple The train leaves at 10 The train doesn’t leave Does the train leave at Yes, it does.
am. at 10 am. 10 am? No, it doesn’t.
 1. It's really hot in here. I think _____ a window.
I'll open / I'm opening

2. What _____ when you finish university?

are you going to do / are you doing

3. ____ at a conference on Saturday.

I'll speak / I'm speaking
Let’s practice!
4. I would love to go out with you tomorrow but _____ my sister for dinner.
I meet / I’m meeting

5. A: Would you like tea or coffee? B: _____ coffee, please.

I'll have / I’m having

6. Hi Deniz! We are on our way to get coffee. _______ with us?

Will you come / Do you come
 Underline all the verbs that refer to the future. There are 12 in total.

HAPIN: Nouvella! It’s nice to see you. Are you presenting a paper today?

EON: Hi, Will! Yes. In fact, my talk starts at two o’clock.

HAPIN: Oh, I think I’ll go. What do you plan to talk about? Will you be discussing robots?

EON: Yes. I’m focusing on personal robots for household work. My talk is called “Creative Uses of Home Robots.”

HAPIN: I want one of those! But seriously, you promised me an interview on personal robots. Will you be getting some free time in the next
few weeks?

EON: I’m not sure. I’ll call you after the conference, OK?

HAPIN: Great! Where’s your son, by the way? Is he with you?

EON: No. Rocky stays in Denver with his grandparents in the summer. I’m going to visit him right after the conference. He’ll be ten years old
in a few days. I can’t believe it!

HAPIN: It’s his birthday, huh? Here, take this little model of the flying car for him.

EON: Oh, he’s going to love this! Thanks, Will. So what are you working on these days?

HAPIN: Well, Futurist Magazine just published my article on cities of the future. And next month at their convention, I’m interviewing
members of the World Future Association about flying cars.

EON: That’ll be exciting! Good luck!

  Are you going to be discussing robots?
What tense are
these?  Will you be getting some free time in the
next few weeks?
 We use future progressive
future
progressive ⚈ to show that an action will be in progress at a specific
time in the future.
(will be + verb‑ing)
or
(be + going to be +
verb‑ing)
 to talk about a continuous action in the future
future
progressive I’ll be living in Paris next summer.
I’m going to be living in Paris next summer.
(will be + verb‑ing)
or
(be + going to be +
verb‑ing)
 to talk about an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future

future At nine o’clock tomorrow, he’ll be flying to Madrid!

progressive At nine o’clock tomorrow, he’s going to be flying to Madrid!

To fly (v.)
(will be + verb‑ing)
A flight (n)
or
(be + going to be +
verb‑ing)
 to ask polite questions / make polite requests

future
Are you going to be using the printer?
progressive
Will you be using the printer?
(will be + verb‑ing)
or
(be + going to be +
verb‑ing)
 Affirmative / Negative / Question / Short answer
Subject will (neg) / be verb-ing
be (neg) going to

I will (not) be singing

We are (not) going to be working
Positive /
Negative /
+ - ? Short answers
Question
Future
progressive 1 I’ll be singing at the I won’t be singing.. Will I be singing.... Yes, I will.
party tomorrow. No, I won’t.

Future We’re going to be We’re not going to be Are we going to be Yes, we are.
progressive 2 working... working next week. working... No, we aren’t.
Exercise 3
eFOG – p. 77
 Nora and Salim are graduating from university next week. They are discussing their
plans for after graduation:

• Nora will stay with her parents until she finds a good job.

Look at these • While she is living with her parents, she will save a lot of money.
sentences • Salim will take a gap year before he starts working.

• After Salim finishes his gap year, he is going to start a Master’s in law.
 • Nora will stay with her parents until she finds a good job.

• While she is living with her parents, she will save a lot of money.

Look at these • Salim will take a gap year before he starts working.

sentences • After Salim finishes his gap year, he is going to start a Master’s in law.
 A future time clause tells us when a future event
will happen, in relation to another event.

Future time
clauses.
 These sentences have 2 clauses:

a main clause & a time clause

(independent & dependent)

• Nora will stay with her parents until she finds a good job.

Future time • While she is living with her parents, she will save a lot of money.
clauses
• Salim will take a gap year before he starts working.

• After Salim finishes his gap year, he is going to start a Master’s in law.
 I’ll clean the house while you’re working.

Main clause: I’ll clean the house

Which is the Time clause: While you’re working

main clause?
When the film starts, we'll be having dinner.
Which is the
time clause? Main clause: we’ll be having dinner
Time clause: When the film starts
 I’ll clean the house while you’re working.

Main clause: I’ll clean the house (future simple)

Time clause: while you are working. (present progressive)
Which tense
are they using
in each clause? When the film starts, we'll be having dinner.

Main clause: We’ll be having dinner (future progressive)

Time clause: when the film starts. (simple present)
 I’ll clean the house while you’re working.
Not: I’ll clean the house while you will be working.

Main clause: I’ll clean the house (future simple)

You do not use Time clause: while you are working. (present progressive)
future tenses
in the time
clause! When the film starts, we'll be having dinner.
Not: When the film will start, we’ll be having dinner.

Main clause: We’ll be having dinner (future progressive)

Time clause: when the film starts. (present simple)
 I’ll clean the house while you’re working.

Main clause: I’ll clean the house

Time clause: while you are working.

When the film starts, we'll be having dinner.

REMEMBER!!
Main clause: We’ll be having dinner
Time clause: when the film starts.

• Do not use the future tense in the time clause.

• If the time clause comes first, use a comma!
 I will go shopping when you come home.
I will go shopping while you sleep.

• when
• while
Possible • before
conjunctions.. • after
• until
• as soon as
• ...
Here is an advert for a holiday in space. Complete the blanks in the text.
Use the future progressive in the main clause, and the simple present or simple progressive in the time clause.

Need a break? Call today and in just a few days, you’ll be travelling (1.travel) skyward for a week at

starburst Suites Hotel. No rockets necessary – our comfortable modern elevator ______ (2.lift) you quietly
into space while everyone else ______ (3.be) stuck in the crowds and noise back on Earth. While you
______ (4.enjoy) a meal on this luxurious vehicle, a friendly flight robot _____will point out_ (5.point out)
amazing views of our planet from space. And before you ______ (6.know) it, you _________ (7.get ready) to
check into your hotel for a week of “fun near the Sun.” After you ______ (8.unpack) your spacesuit, you
_______ (9.join) the other guests for a tour. Do you love sunsets? You’re in luck you _______ (10.watch)
sixteen of them every day from the hotel’s huge windows. Do you prefer adventure? Picture this! While
other guests _______ (11.relax) in the spa, you ________ (12.put on) your spacesuit for a walk under the stars.
So call for a reservation. Once aboard, we guarantee it – you _______ (13.not think) about anything except
returning again and again....
Exercise 6
eFOG – p. 80
Discuss..

What do you
think robots
will be doing in
the future?