English Tips
Tenses uses 2: from present to future
Present simple as future:
To talk about events under timetables or something similar.
What time does the train arrive to London?
Future meaning after conjunctions.
I ´ll phone you when I arrive.
Present continuous or progressive as future:
To talk about plans and arrangements, actions already planned. We often give the
time or date. It is similar in meaning to the “be going to” structure.
I ´m having dinner with Larry on Saturday
(jo dino amb en Larry el dissabte)
Be going to:
To talk about future actions and events which are already decided now. They are
planned or they are starting to happen: we can see them coming.
- plans and arrangements:
I´m going to phone Laura this evening
(trucaré a la Laura aquesta nit)
- when a future action or event is “on the way”. It is starting to happen.
She´s going to have a baby soon
(ella tindrà un nen aviat)
Will / future simple:
We say that things “Will happen” when they are not already planned or on the way.
- Predictions:
Who do you think will win on Saturday? (Qui creus que guanyarà el dissabte?)
Tomorrow will be warm, with some cloud in the afternoon.
(demà farà bo, amb alguns núvols per la tarda)
When we say something will happen, we don´t have evidence to show it.
We say what we know, believe or have calculated.
- Decisions: We use will at the moment of making a decision.
The phone is ringing! Ok, I will answer it
I´m going out for a drink. Wait a moment and I´ll come with you.
- Threats and promises:
I will hit you if you do that again.
I promise I won´t smoke again.
- Offers and requests:
Shall: when we offer to do things
Shall I carry your bag?
Will: to ask people to do things for us.
Will you get me a newspaper when you are out?
Future Continuous:
To talk about something that will be in progress at a particular moment in the future.
I will be waiting at the station when you arrive.
(t´estaré esperant a l´estació quan tu arribis)
To describe an activity or state that cobres the whole of a future time period:
I will be watching television all evening
(estaré mirant el televisor tota la nit)
To describe a future event which has already been arranged or is part of a regular routine.
I will be working at home tomorrow, like every Saturday.
(estaré treballant a casa demà com cada dissabte)
Sometimes used to refer to the present (quan ens preguntem que deu estar fent algú)
Peter will be lying on the beach in Salou at the moment. Lucky him!
(El Peter es deu estar ajegut a la platja a Salou ara. Quina sort té!)
Future Perfect:
To say that something will have been completed by a certain time in the future.
I will have lived here for seven years next Friday
(ja hauré viscut aquí durant 7 anys el proper divendres)
The painters say they ´ll have finished the downstairs rooms by Tuesday
(Els pintors diuen que pel dimarts ja hauran acabat les habitacions)
Future Perfect continuous:
With for, to describe a period of time which precedes a point in the future.
We will have been living here for two years in july
(Al juliol ja estarem vivint aqui durant dos anys o al juliol ja farà dos
anys que estarem vivint aqui)
To describe an activity which leads up to a point in the future.
I´ll be dirty because I ´ll have been playing football.
(estaré brut perqué hauré estat jugant a fútbol)
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Tenses clues 2: from present to future
For all tenses in future, we use the same clues: tomorrow, in two day´s time, next year etc.
But they are not always used.
So, the best way to see which is the best tense in order to use one, it is to know the uses of
every verbal tense and their translations.
