The future Form Example

Prediction Personal Will/won’t + infinitive (Future He’ll be in prison for a long time
Impersonal simple) The war will be over next month
Prediction with present evidence Be going to + infinitive Look at those clouds. It’s going to snow

Prediction of an action in progress Will/won´t be + verb -ing (Future This time tomorrow we’ll be sitting in s
Continuous) Tuscan café
Prediction of an action completed by a point in the Will/won’t have + Past Participle I’ll have finished this report by 3.30
future (Future Perfect)
Prediction of an action still ongoing at a point in the Will/won’t have been + verb -ing She’ll have been working there for 25 years
future next month
Intention Decision made at the time of speaking Will/won’t + infinitive (Future I’ll get the phone
simple)
Intention (Actions that have already been decided Be going to + infinitive They’re going to take voluntary
on) redundancy
Determination Will/won’t + infinitive (Actions is I will give up smoking!
decided on or the determination is
strengthened at time of speaking).
Stress will or won´t
Be going to + infinitive (already I am going to give up smoking!
decided). Stress be or not.
Arrangement Personal Present continuous We’re taking a month off in this summer
s
Impersonal The bank is laying off 200 staff
Arrangement made in the past Will/won’t be + verb -ing (Future We’ll be coming back from Edinburgh on
continuous) Sunday.
Tactful queries/reason for rejection Will you be eating with us?
I’ll be rehearsing tomorrow night
Other future “Timetable” future Present simple The Royal train arrives at 5:45 p.m.
meanings
Routine events Will/won’t be + verb -ing (Future Come for dinner – we’ll be cooking for six
continuous) anyway
Statements of fact Will/won’t + infinitive He’ll be 25 next week

With adverbs to make stronger, etc All forms It’ll probably rain tomorrow
She’s definitely going to the party
With verbs of hope, doubt, etc All forms We hope you’ll be able to come
I expect they’re going to increase the rate
in the budget
In time clauses (starting with when, after, as soon as, Present simple He’ll stay until you get here
once, until) I’ll leave soon as it stops raining
Expressions Official arrangements Be to + infinitive They are to hold a secret meeting
with future
meaning
Timetable Be due to + infinitive We’re due to collect her at five
Immediate future About to The check-in is about to close

On the point of / on the verge of The building project is on the point of

completion
Adjectives (imminent, forthcoming, The decision is imminent
impending)
Probability/certainty Be + (un)likely to + infinitive He’s unlikely to recognise me
Be + bound/sure/certain to + Your venture is bound to fail if you don’t
infinitive prepare fully
Verbs with Main verbs Decide, hope, promise, predict. etc They’ve decided not to buy a house
future They’re predicting snow tomorrow
meaning
Modal Verb May, could, might, should This move could lead to war
Future in the Was/were going to + infinitive I was going to get up early this morning
past
Past continuous We thought they were arriving before
dinner.
Would I had hoped you’d get here earlier

Would be + verb -ing We knew we would be waiting for ages

Would have + past participle They thought the crisis would have finished
before then.
Was/were about to I was about to tell you when you
interrupted…
Was/were to We were to arrive at 9.
Was/were due to
Was/were to have + past participle
Was/were due to have + past
participle
The concert was due to start at half past 7
The Queen mother was to have
accompanied the others, but she broke her
hip the day before
I was due to have started the treatment
yesterday, but I couldn’t get to the hospital
because of the train strike