There is NOT just one future tense in English.

How to express the future

then?
There are several ways to express the
future. Let’s see two of those ways.

1. With the modal WILL. (Future Simple)

2. With BE GOING TO.

WILL
We use will + infinitive without to:
 To express a sudden decision made at the
moment of speaking.
 To express intention or promise.
 To express a prediction based on opinion or
beliefs.
 To make a request or an offer.
FUTURE TENSE : WILL FORM

Affirmative: I will travel to Madrid in October

Interrogative: Will you travel by bus?

Negative: I will not travel – won´t

Will you travel by train or by bus?

I won’t travel by bus I will probably travel by train

 FUTURE SIMPLE
AFFIRMATIVE:
AFFIRMATIVE

Subject + WILL + base form of verb

Your brother WILL become famous soon.

Will = ‘ll
Your brother’ll become famous soon.
 FUTURE SIMPLE
NEGATIVE:
NEGATIVE

Subject + WILL + NOT + base form of verb

My friend WILL NOT marry that man.

WILL + NOT = WON’T

My friend won’t marry that man.
FUTURE SIMPLE
INTERROGATIVE:
INTERROGATIVE

WILL+Subj.+ base form of verb ?

WILL IT rain tomorrow ?

Short answers
Yes, it will.
No, it won’t.
 Future Simple
We use the modal WILL + the base form of the
main verb for:
You will get married and
have 10 children!

1. Predictions.
I’ll have another cup
of coffee, please!

2. Quick decisions. I WILL (’ll) call

You WILL (’ll) call
Ok! I’ll call you
tomorrow. He / She WILL (’ll) call
We WILL (’ll) call
3. Promises. You WILL (’ll) call
They WILL (’ll) call
 “GOING TO”
AFFIRMATIVE:
AFFIRMATIVE

I am (I’m)
You are (You’re)
He is (He’s) (base form
She is (She’s) going to of verb =
It is (It’s) Infinitive
We are (We’re) without
“to”)
You are (You’re)
They are (They’re)
 “GOING TO”
NEGATIVE:
NEGATIVE

I am not (I’m not)

You are not (You aren’t) (base form
He is not(He
not isn’t) going to of verb =
She is not (She isn’t) Infinitive
It is not (It isn’t)
without
We are not (We aren’t)
You are not (You aren’t)
“to”)
They are not (They aren’t)
 “GOING TO”
INTERROGATIVE:
INTERROGATIVE

Am I
Is you going to Base ?
Are he /she /it
we/you/they
Short answers
Yes, + Subject pronoun + am / is / are.
No, + Subject pronoun + isn’t / aren’t.
*(Note: No, I’m not).
not
I have a nice dress! I
will go to the party
tonight!
I promise, I will
bring the book
tomorrow!
We think he will
win the
competition! He
is a Spiderman!
 BE GOING TO
We use BE GOING TO + the base form of the
main verb for: I am going to practise hard
to become a rock star!

1. Plans / Intentions.
2. Predictions based on clear signs.
Look at those clouds! It is
going to rain! I am going to + V
You are going to + V
He / She is going to + V
We are going to + V
You are going to + V
They are going to + V
FUTURE TENSE: BE GOING
TO - FORM

 Affirmative: I am going to travel by plane.

 Interrogative: Are you going to travel by plane?

 Negative: I am not going to travel by plane because I am

going to fly in a hot air balloon.
FUTURE TENSE: USES OF GOING TO

1.- Future plans and intentions: I am going

To buy a new laptop computer next week

2.- Predictions based in what we can see

at the moment; Look at that car! It is
going to crash into the lamp post.
It is going to
rain!
Hmmm... I am
going to sleep !
 Adverbs of Present, Past & Future
Tense
Adverbs of time
Present Everyday, every week, every Sunday,
Once a week, twice a week, always,
Usually, often, sometimes, never.
Past Yesterday, the day before yesterday, last
Sunday, last week, A week ago, in 1998,
this morning.
Future Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, next
Monday, next morning, in a few days, in
two weeks, two days later, after a week.
 WILL / GOING TO ( contrasting)

The simple Future has two different

forms in English: will and be going to.
Although the two forms can sometimes be
used interchangeably, they often express
two different meanings as mentioned
before.
I will probably go to London
next summer.

I am going to fly to London

next Saturday.
 tomorrow I'll go to the market tomorrow.

soon Don’t worry. He will be here soon.

There will be another meeting next

next week / year
month.

in five minutes/
in two hours I will return in two hours.

later today I will finish my report later today.

 REMEMBER!
PLANS /
PREDICTIONS
INTENTIONS
QUICK DECISIONS
PREDICTIONS
BASED ON
PROMISES
CLEAR SIGNS

WILL + V BE GOING TO + V
1) Why are you working so hard these days?
- Because I’m going to buy (buy) a car, so I’m saving.

2) What (you)are you going to buy Jill for her birthday? (buy)
- A CD.
-mmm But She hasn’t got a CD player.
- In that case, I will (buy )her a book.
3) Dad, can you mend this for me?
- I’m sorry. Ask Mum. She will do it for you.
4) Why have you got so many eggs?
-Because I am going to (make) an omelette.
5) I haven’t got enough money to get home.
-I
will lend (lend) you some. How much do you need?
6) A: Why are you holding a piece of paper?
am going to
B: I …………………….. (write) a letter to my friends back
home in Texas
7) A: I'm about to fall asleep. I need to wake up!
B: I …………………(get)
will you a cup of coffee.
8) We are so excited about our trip next month to France.
We are going
…………………….
to (visit) Paris, Nice and Grenoble.
will
9) I think he …………………. (be) the next British Prime
Minister.
WILL WITH « BE »

When the main verb is BE , we can use the simple

future tense even if we have a firm plan or decision
before speaking. Examples:

 I'll be in London tomorrow.

 I'm going shopping. I won't be very long.
 Will you be at work tomorrow?
 Questions

IF YOU HAVE FIRM PLANS USE «GOING TO »

BUT IF YOU DON’T USE « WILL ».
 How are you going to spend your next vacation? Are you going anywhere?
 When will the new machine arrive?
 What are you going to do next?
 Is anyone going to travel with you?
 What do you think the party will be like?
 PRACTISE!
Choose the right way to express the future in
the following situations.
SITUATION 1 SITUATION 2 SITUATION 3

You’re thirsty, aren’t Oh no! He really (paint)

the room that colour? We (not be) back late.
you? I (get) you a
The film finishes at 10
glass of water.
p.m.

ANSWER ANSWER ANSWER

I WILL (’ll) get you IS he really GOING TO paint We WILL not (won’t) be back late.
a glass of water. the room that colour? (PROMISE)
(QUICK DECISION) (INTENTION) The film finishes at 10 p.m.
 SITUATION 4 SITUATION 5 SITUATION 6

In Scotland it (rain) Ketchup or

You’re not well. tomorrow. In the south mayonnaise?
I (call) the doctor. of England it (be)
sunny.
I (have) mayonnaise,
please.

ANSWER
ANSWER
ANSWER
In Scotland it WILL rain
I WILL (’ll) call the doctor. I WILL (’ll) have mayonnaise,
tomorrow. In the south of
(QUICK DECISION) please.
England it WILL be sunny.
(QUICK DECISION)
(PREDICTION)
Will / Be Going to

 1. A: Why are you holding a piece of paper?

B: I (write)___________
Am going to writea letter to my friends back
home in Texas.

 2. A: I'm about to fall asleep. I need to wake up!

B: I (get)_________
‘ll get you a cup of coffee. That will
wake you up.

3. A: I can't hear the television!
‘ll turn
B: I (turn) __________ it up so you can hear it.

4. We are so excited about our trip next month to
France.are
We going
(visit)to visit
___________Paris and Nice.
 5. A: It is so hot in here!
B: I (turn)________
‘ll turn the air conditioning on.

6. I think he (be)_________
will be the next President
of the United States.
 7. I am ___________to
going to work in ten minutes.
 8. I guess I ____________stay home tonight.
will
 9. I________be
will in Texas next week.
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN?
WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN
NEXT?
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN?
WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN
NEXT?
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN?
WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN
NEXT?
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN?
WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN
NEXT?
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN?
WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN
NEXT?
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN?
WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN
NEXT?
Dianarella’s Future
 Dianarella is a princess. She wants to know what
will happen to her in the future, so she goes to visit
a fortune teller.
D: Can you see my
future?
FT: I certainly can.
D: Tell me about it!
FT: You ____________
marry a rich prince.
D: Auch! Can you see
him?
Is he handsome?
FT: Well … Not when you first meet him…He looks
like a frog!
 Dianarella is a princess. She wants to know what
will happen to her in the future, so she goes to visit
a fortune teller.
D: Can you see my
future?
FT: I certainly can.
D: Tell me about it!
FT: You will marry a
rich prince.
D: Auch! Can you see
him?
Is he handsome?

FT: Well … Not when you first meet him…He looks

like a frog!
 P: A frog?
F: Yes…Some day you _______
meet a frog! And you ______ kiss it.
P: I ______(not)!
F: Yes, you ______and it _____ turn
into a handsome prince!
FT: What are you
doing?
P: I______ (not) listen
any more! I ______
(go) back to my
palace!
FT: You can’t
change the future
my dear…
 P: A frog?
F: Yes…Some day you will meet a
frog! And you will kiss it.
P: I will not!
F: Yes, you will and it will turn
into a handsome prince!
FT: What are you
doing?
P: I’m not going to
listen any more! I’m
going back to my
palace!
FT: You can’t
change the future
my dear…
(When Dianarella returns to her
palace…)

FT: Oh!! My dear, you

_________ have to kiss a lot
of frogs before finding the
right one.
(When Dianarella returns to her
palace…)

FT: Oh!! My dear, you will

have to kiss a lot of frogs
before finding the right
one.
Dianarella’s Future
D: Poor me!!!