Expressing the Future In English we have several ways of conveying events in the future: those things that we want

to happen, and those things which will or shall happen, independent of our desires. When we want to discuss an event in the future that has already been planned, we may use the present continuous:

NOW--------------------------------------Planned event---------------- The future

1.

2. 3. 4. 5.

I am doing nothing tomorrow afternoon. (do) I am Paul tomorrow morning. (meet) Are you married in June or July? (get) Alfred is in two weeks time, and is going back to Britain. (leave) I am in Prague tonight. Please be there to meet me! (arrive)

It is also possible to use will in these examples, e.g. I will be travelling to Brno by bus. (travel) 2. Frank says that he a new novel. (write) 3. The group from the girls school at the ski resort for two weeks (stay) 4. Alex and Neil . on a trip to the Highlands as soon as they finish their exams. (go) 5. I have broken my leg, so .. football tonight. (play)
1.

But we can also use the present simple:

1.

2. 3. 4.
5.

What time do you leave on Friday? (leave) Leroy his new job on Monday. (start) Marty his degree in May. (finish) My friend Walter . the importance of loyalty. (understand) The art exhibition on the 22nd of March. (open)

When discussing the future, there are certain words we can use to indicate a future event. For example, if you were to write when the rain stops, that would indicate that you are referring to it in the future. This is also the case with the words while, before, as soon as, until/till and after. For example:
1. 2. 3. 4.

As soon as I get back, I will tell you my decision. I will be away until the twenty-fourth of this month. After you tell me what you think, I will tell you what I think. While you are in the bath, I will do the dishes.

Another way to express an intended action is the going to form. This is similar to the cases mentioned above, because it is used when discussing predictions and intentions. Remember that the going to form is always used with the verb to be I am going to, You are going to, They are going to, He / she is going to, and so on.
1.

2. 3. 4. 5.

I am going to buy a new car. Will is .. me with my homework. (help) Are you that sausage? (eat) I am for a walk in the mountains. (go) I nearly fell down the cliff. I thought I was . down the cliff. (fall)

The most common method of expressing the future is probably the will form, which is used after personal pronouns (I, you), and words like it, that and which. Remember that Ill is the contracted (shortened) form of I will, etc. The opposite of this is I will not and the contracted form is I wont. When will is used with a personal pronoun, it expresses intent: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. I will help you carry your suitcase. (help) Im tired and I must get up early tomorrow. I to bed now. (go) Earnest told me that he . the washing up. (do) Percy promised to keep the secret. He said: I .. anyone else. (tell) Luke told me that he to the University of Edinburgh. (apply) Donald and Lucy .. tonight at seven oclock. (meet)

When used with another word, it expresses a future event (outside a persons influence) that will probably happen. (that/it/which will + be) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. There will be a big party on Saturday. Would you like to come? We .. on holiday in August. (go) . interesting to see how events in the Middle East develop. (it) We must hope .... better in the future. (that, things, be) On Sunday were going to Vienna for a week. nice. (which, will, be)

Shall Shall is used in much the same way as will, but only with I and we for example, I shall be tired when I get home from work, or We shall go to the beach. Its use indicates something that is planned or expected. The negative of I shall is I shant. The Future Continuous Whenever we want to express a continuous action that we expect to take place in the future, we use the future continuous, which uses will be (or sometimes shall be) and an ing verb, as follows: My husband is working late tonight. Ill (I will) be sleeping when he gets home.

1. I want to go to Strahov. I .. there by bus. (travel) 2. Sid has run out of food, so this afternoon he . to the supermarket. (go) 3. Tommy is going on holiday. This time next week he . on a beach in Greece. (lie) 4. My car has broken down, so this morning I . to work. (cycle) 5. Do you want me to post anything? I . the post office on my way home. (pass) 6. Just think: when everyone else is eating in the student canteen, I . a nice hot curry. (enjoy) The Future Perfect / Will have done Whenever we wish to talk about an action in the future that will already be completed, we use the future perfect. In this case, we use will have, followed by a verb in the past participle: By the time my roommate comes back, we will have finished watching the film.

NOW-----------finish film------------roommate returns----------- The future 1. Im leaving tomorrow. But I . the work by then. (finish) 2. Our house is burning. The fire brigade are on their way, but the house . down by then. (burn) 3. I was given some money to last until the end of the month. But I . by then. (spend, it)

Expressing the Future Answer Key In English we have several ways of conveying events in the future: those things that we want to happen, and those things which will or shall happen, independent of our desires. When we want to discuss an event in the future that has already been planned, we may use the present continuous:

NOW--------------------------------------Planned event---------------- The future

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

I am doing nothing tomorrow afternoon. (do) I am meeting Paul tomorrow morning. (meet) Are you getting married in June or July? (get) Alfred is leaving in two weeks time, and is going back to Britain. (leave) I am arriving in Prague tonight. Please be there to meet me! (arrive)

It is also possible to use will in these examples, e.g. I will be travelling to Brno by bus. (travel) Frank says that he will be writing a new novel. (write) The group from the girls school will be staying at the ski resort for two weeks. (stay) 4. Alex and Neil will be going on a trip to the Highlands as soon as they finish their exams. (go) 5. I have broken my leg, so I wont be playing football tonight. (play)
1. 2. 3.

But we can also use the present simple:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

What time do you leave on Friday? (leave) Leroy starts his new job on Monday. (start) Marty finishes his degree in May. (finish) My friend Walter understands the importance of loyalty. (understand) The art exhibition opens on the 22nd of March. (open)

When discussing the future, there are certain words we can use to indicate a future event. For example, if you were to write when the rain stops, that would indicate that you are referring to it in the future. This is also the case with the words while, before, as soon as, until/till and after. For example:
1. 2. 3. 4.

As soon as I get back, I will tell you my decision. I will be away until the twenty-fourth of this month. After you tell me what you think, I will tell you what I think. While you are in the bath, I will do the dishes.

Another way to express an intended action is the going to form. This is similar to the cases mentioned above, because it is used when discussing predictions and intentions. Remember that the going to form is always used with the verb to be I am going to, You are going to, They are going to, He / she is going to, and so on.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

I am going to buy a new car. Will is going to help me with my homework. (help) Are you going to eat that sausage? (eat) I am going to go for a walk in the mountains. (go) I nearly fell down the cliff. I thought I was going to fall down the cliff. (fall)

The most common method of expressing the future is probably the will form, which is used after personal pronouns (I, you), and words like it, that and which. Remember that Ill is the contracted (shortened) form of I will, etc. The opposite of this is I will not and the contracted form is I wont. When will is used with a personal pronoun, it expresses intent: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. I will help you carry your suitcase. (help) Im tired and I must get up early tomorrow. I will go to bed now. (go) Earnest told me that he will do the washing up. (do) Percy promised to keep the secret. He said: I wont tell anyone else. (tell) Luke told me that he will apply to the University of Edinburgh. (apply) Donald and Lucy will meet tonight at seven oclock. (meet)

When used with another word, it expresses a future event (outside a persons influence) that will probably happen. (that/it/which will + be) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. There will be a big party on Saturday. Would you like to come? We will go on holiday in August. (go) It will be interesting to see how events in the Middle East develop. (it) We must hope that things will be better in the future. (that, things, be) On Sunday were going to Vienna for a week. Which will be nice. (which, will, be)

Shall Shall is used in much the same way as will, but only with I and we for example, I shall be tired when I get home from work, or We shall go to the beach. Its use indicates something that is planned or expected. The negative of I shall is I shant. The Future Continuous Whenever we want to express a continuous action that we expect to take place in the future, we use the future continuous, which uses will be (or sometimes shall be) and an ing verb, as follows: My husband is working late tonight. Ill (I will) be sleeping when he gets home.

1. I want to go to Strahov. I will be travelling there by bus. (travel) 2. Sid has run out of food, so this afternoon he will be going to the supermarket. (go) 3. Tommy is going on holiday. This time next week he will be lying on a beach in Greece. (lie) 4. My car has broken down, so this morning I will be cycling to work. (cycle) 5. Do you want me to post anything? I will be passing the post office on my way home. (pass) 6. Just think: when everyone else is eating in the student canteen, I will be enjoying a nice hot curry. (enjoy) The Future Perfect / Will have done Whenever we wish to talk about an action in the future that will already be completed, we use the future perfect. In this case, we use will have, followed by a verb in the past tense: By the time my roommate comes back, we will have finished watching the film.

NOW-----------finish film------------roommate returns----------- The future 1. Im leaving tomorrow. But I will have finished the work by then. (finish) 2. Our house is burning. The fire brigade are on their way, but the house will have burnt down by then. (burn) 3. I was given some money to last until the end of the month. But I will have spent it by then. (spend, it)