Ways of

expressing future
Notes taken from:
- Murphy, R. “English Grammar in Use”
Present tenses for future: I´m doing / I do

Present continuous: arrangements

● What are you doing on Saturday evening?
● I´m going to the theatre
Present simple: timetables and programmes
● My train leaves at 11:30
● What time does the film begin this evening?
Be going to + infinitive
I´m going to do something: I have already decided to do it
● I´m going to buy a new car
● This cheese looks horrible. I'm not going to eat it

Note that often the difference between:

- I am doing - present continuous
- I´m going to do - intention future
is very small and either form is possible
Will future
We often use will with:
- probably: I'll probably be home late tonight
- I expect: I haven't seen Carol today. I expect she'll
phone this evening
- I'm sure: I'm sure you'll pass
- I think: Do you think Sarah will like the present?
- I wonder: I wonder what will happen
will be doing / wil have done
FUTURE CONTINUOUS
● I will be doing
FUTURE PERFECT
● I will have done
This time next week I will be on holiday. I will be lying on
the beach or swimming in the sea
We're late. The film will already have started by the time we
get to the cinema.