EXPRESSING FUTURE

1. FUTURE PRESENT: A. WILL

B. TO BE GOING TO
C. PRESENT CONTINUOUS
D. PRESENT SIMPLE

A. WILL

 To talk about the future
“I’ll be back later tonight – don’t bother making me dinner.”
“I’m busy right now – I’ll call you tomorrow.”
 To make predictions
“I’m sure he’ll be a successful lawyer one day.”
“I don’t think it’ll rain tonight” (Not “I think it won’t rain tonight.”)
 To make on spot, spontaneous decisions
Waiter: “What would you like to eat?”
Customer: “I think I’ll have the chicken.”
Other examples: “I’m cold. I think I’ll put the heater on.”
“Look, that’s my bus. I’ll catch up with you later.”
 To make promises, offers, requests and threats
Promises: “I’ll help you with your homework tomorrow.”
Offers: “I’ll look after the children for you if you like.”
Requests: “Will you tell Tony I called?”
Threats: “If you cheat again, I’ll tell the teacher.”

B. TO BE GOING TO- we used this tense for a personal intention

(something that you’re willing to accomplish), for a planned future action or
if a present fact indicates a future event.
“I’m going to buy a new car.”
“It’s going to rain soon. There are a lot of black clouds in the sky.”
C. PRESENT CONTINUOUS- fixed arrangements or appointments in the
future.
“My wife is flying to Rome tomorrow.”
“We’re moving to Glasgow next month.”
D. PRESENT SIMPLE - when we talk about time tables, schedules of buses,
planes, etc.:
“The plane leaves at 7 o’clock.”
* The forms ‘to be about to’, ‘to be on the point of’; ‘to be to’, ‘to be on
the verge of’(both formal) can express intentions and events that are
going to happen in the immediate future: “I’m sorry, I don’t have time.
I’m about to leave.”
“The mayor is to give a speech tomorrow.”

TIME CLAUSES: AFTER

BEFORE
AS SOON AS PRESENT SIMPLE; PRESENT PERFECT=> These time words come before the earlier action.
UNTIL
WHEN

E.g.: As soon as I finish drawing, I’ll go to bed.

Once I have finished my homework, I’ll watch a film.

2. Future Continuous
Form
The future continuous is made up of two elements:  The future continuous can be used for predicting or guessing about
the simple future of the verb 'to be' + the present participle (base+ing) future events:
Examples-He'll be coming to the meeting, I expect.
Subject simple future of the verb 'to be' present
I guess you'll be feeling thirsty after working in the sun.
participle
 In the interrogative form, the future continuous can be used to ask
You will be watching
politely for information about the future:
Examples- Will you be bringing your friend to the pub tonight?
I will be staying
Functions  The future continuous can be used to refer to continuous events that
The future continuous refers to an unfinished action or event that will be we expect to happen in the future:
in progress at a time later than now. The future continuous is used for quite Examples-I'll be seeing Jim at the conference next week.
a few different purposes. When he is in Australia he will be staying with friends.

 The future continuous can be used to project ourselves into the  When combined with still, the future continuous refers to events that
future: are already happening now and that we expect to continue some
Examples- This time next week I will be sun-bathing in Bali. time into the future:
By Christmas I will be skiing like a pro. Examples- Tomorrow he'll still be suffering from his cold.

3. Future in the Past

Future in the past has two different forms in English: would and was going Jane said Sam was going to bring his sister with him, but he
to. Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they came alone. plan
often express two different meanings. I had a feeling that the vacation was going to be a
FORM- Would disaster. prediction
[would + VERB] He promised he would send a postcard from Egypt. promise
Examples: ACTIVE / PASSIVE
I knew you would help him. Examples: I knew John would finish the work by 5:00 PM. Active
I knew you would not help him. I knew the work would be finished by 5:00 PM. Passive

FORM- Was/Were Going To+ Verb
Examples:
I knew you were going to go to the party.
I knew you were not going to go to the party.
USE:
Future in the past is used to express the idea that in the past you thought
something would happen in the future. It does not matter if you are correct or
not. "Would" is used to volunteer or promise, and "was going to" is used to
plan. Moreover, both forms can be used to make predictions about the future.
Examples: I told you he was going to come to the party. plan
I knew Julie would make dinner. voluntary action
4. Future Perfect- this tense refers to a completed action in the future; we
are projecting ourselves forward into the future and looking back at an action
that will be completed some time later than now.
Examples: I will have been here for six months on June 23rd.
By the time you read this I will have left.
5. Future Perfect Continuous- refers to actions that will continue up
until a point in the future.
Examples: At five o’clock, I will have been waiting for thirty minutes.
When I turn thirty, I will have been playing piano for twenty-one years.