Grammar Reference

 

4.1 ■ Expressing the future

Present simple

We use the present simple to talk about future events that are fixed because they are based on a schedule, calendar or timetable.

Pete's flight lands at 11.00 tomorrow morning.

What time does the film start?

Present continuous

We use the present continuous to talk about personal arrangements for a future day or date.

I'm meeting up with Olivia tonight.

I'm not doing anything later.

will

We use will and won't to talk about:

• promises and hopes for the future, often with verbs like hope, expect or promise + that (you can omit that).
  I hope (that) you'll be very happy here.
  We can also use the infinitive with to after these verbs.
  We hope to arrange another meeting soon.
• predictions, often after I think or I don't think, or future facts that we are certain about.
  I don't think it will be difficult to pass this exam.
  That plant won't survive for long without water.
• future facts that we are less certain about, with probably.
  We will probably go to the park, but it depends on the weather.

going to

We use be + going to to talk about:

• intentions.
  Ben's going to join a gym.
• predictions about the future based on something we can see in the present.
  Look at the sky. It's going to be a beautiful day.

Compare:

going to	They aren't going to stay very long.(That is their intention.)
will / won't	They won't stay very long.(I predict this.)

Sometimes there is little difference between going to and the present continuous when talking about the future.

We're going to have a party next weekend.

We're having a party next weekend.

We use the present continuous to talk about a definite plan for which the arrangements have been made. And we use going to to show that the plan is only an intention.

may / might

We use may or might when we are less certain about the future. Although may is considered to be more definite than might, there is, in fact, very little difference in meaning between the two words.

4.2 ■ Future perfect and future continuous

Future perfect

Affirmative and negative
I You He / She / It We You They	will have won't have	helped many people.
Questions and short answers
Will	I you he / she / it we you they	have helped many people?	Yes, you will. No, they won't.

Use

We use the future perfect to talk about:

• an action that will be completed before a definite time in the future.

We often use by + a time expression to say when the action will be finished.

The traffic situation will have improved by eleven o'clock.

Call Chris tomorrow. He'll have had more time to think about the idea by then.

We can also use before + time expression.

Chris won't have made his decision before tomorrow.

A time expression is not always necessary, however.

I hope that we won't have done all that hard work for nothing.

The campaign will raise awareness of the issue, but in the end, what will it have achieved?

Future continuous

Affirmative and negative
I You He / She / It We You They	will be won't be	helping many people.
Questions and short answers
Will	I you he / she / it we you they	be helping many people?	Yes, you will. No, they won't.

Use

We use the future continuous with a future time expression to talk about actions that will be in progress at a definite time in the future.

I'll be travelling to Africa this time next week.

It is not always necessary to use a future time expression, particularly if the timeframe is clear from the context.

Will you be helping out at the event?(some time between the start and the end of the event)