EXPRESSING FUTURE TIME

PART I

FRANS ADITIA WIGUNA

 FUTURE TIME: USING BE GOING TO
(a) I am going to go downtown tomorrow
Be going to expresses (talk about)
(b) Sue is going to be here tomorrow afternoon
(c) we are going to come to class tomorrow the future
morning
FORM : am; is; are + going
+infinitive *
(d) I’m not going to go downtown tomorrow
NEGATIVE : be + not + going to
(e) Ann isn’t going to study tonight
(f) “Are you going to come to class tomorrow?”
Question: be + subject + going to
“No, I’m not.”
(g) “Is” Jim going to be at the meeting tomorrow?” A form of be is used the short
“Yes, he is.”
answer to a yes/no question with be
(h) “What time are you going to eat dinner tonight?”
“Around six.” going to, as in (f) and (g). (See
chart 2-2. P. 25, for information
about short answers with be)
* Infinitive = to + the simple form of a verb (to come, to go, to see, to study, etc)
USING THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TO EXPRESS
FUTURE TIME
(a) Sue is going to leave at 8:00 tomorrow
(b) Sue is leaving at 8:00 tomorrow Sometimes the present progressive is
(c) We are going to drive to Toronto next week used to express future time.
(d) We are driving to Toronto next week
(a) and (b) mean the same thing.
(c) and (d) mean the same thing
The present progressive is used for
future meaning when the speaker is
talking about plans that have already
been made

Common Verbs
come drive go meet spend stay
do fly leave return start take
 WORDS USED FOR PAST TIME AND FUTURE TIME
Past Future
Past It rained yesterday
yesterday tomorrow Future It’s going to rain tomorrow

yesterday morning tomorrow morning Past I was in class yesterday morning

yesterday afternoon tomorrow afternoon
yesterday evening tomorrow evening Future I’m going to be in class tomorrow morning
last night tomorrow night
last week next week
Past Mary went downtown last week
last month next month
last year next year Future Mary is going to downtown next week
last weekend next weekend
last spring next spring Past Bob graduated from high school last
last summer next summer spring
last fall next fall
last winter next winter Future
Ann is going to graduate from high school
last Monday ,etc next Monday ,etc
next spring
WORDS USED FOR PAST TIME AND FUTURE TIME
Past Future
. . . minutes in . . . minutes (from now) Past I finished my home work
ago in. . . hours (from now) five minutes ago
. . . hours ago in. . . days (from now)
. . . days ago in. . . weeks (from now) Future Pablo is going to finish
. . . weeks ago in. . . months (from now) his homework in five
. . . months ago in. . . years (from now) minutes
. . . years ago
USING A COUPLE OF or A FEW WITH AGO (Past) & IN (FUTURE)
(a) Sam arrived here one (or) a year ago Number are often used in time expressions with ago
(b) Jack is going to be here in two minutes and in
(c) I talked to Ann three days ago

(d) I saw Carlos a couple of months ago
(e) He’s going to return to Mexico in a
couple of moths
(f) I got a letter from Gina a few weeks ago
(g) I’m going to see Gina in a few weeks
A couple of and a few are also commonly used. A
couple of means “two”. A couple of months ago =
two months ago
A few means “ a small number, not a large number.”
A few weeks ago = three, four or five weeks ago

(h) I began college last year. I’m going to frequently, the word more is used in future time
graduate in two more years. My sister is expressions that begin with in
almost finished with her education.
She’s going to graduate in a few more
months
 USING TODAY, TONIGHT AND THIS + MORNING,
AFTERNOON, EVENING, WEEK, MONTH, YEAR
Right now it’s 10 A.M. We are in our English class
Present
(a) We are studying English this morning
Right now it’s 10 A.M. Nancy left home at 9 A.M.
today
Past to go downtown. She isn’t at home right now
tonight
(b) Nancy went downtown this morning
this morning
Right now it’s 10 A.M. Class ends at 11 A.M. these words
this afternoon
After class today, I’m going to go to the post can express
this evening
office present, past,
this week
(c) I’m going to go to the post office this morning or future time
this weekend
Future
this month
this year
 FUTURE TIME : USING WILL

(a) Mike will arrive at 10:00 tomorrow (a) and (b) have basically the
(b) Mike is going to arrive at 10:00 tomorrow same meaning
(c) Correct : Mike will go there The simple form of a verb
(d) : Mike will goes there follows will. In (c): goes and
Incorrect : Mike wills go there there wills go are Not Correct
STATEMENT
Incorrect
(d) Correct : Mike will arrive at 10:00 There is never a final –s on
Incorrect : Mike will arrives at 10:00 will for future time
(e) Correct : Mike will go there Will is not followed by an
Incorrect : Mike will to go there infinitive with to
 FUTURE TIME : USING WILL
(f) I will come = I’ll come
You will come = You’ll come
She will come = She’ll come Will is contracted to ‘ll with
He will come = He’ll come subject pronouns.* These
CONTRACTION
It will come = It’ll come contractions are common in
We will come = We’ll come both speaking and writing
They will come = They’ll come

(g) Bob will not be here tomorrow Negative contraction

NEGATIVE (h) Bob won’t be here tomorrow will + not = won’t

* Will is also often contracted with nouns in speaking (but not in writing)
Written: Tom will be here at ten Spoken: Tom ‘ll be here at ten
 ASKING QUESTIONS WITH WILL
QUESTION ANSWER
(Question word) + Will + Subject + Main Verb Answer
(a) Will Tom come tomorrow? Yes, he will
No, He won’t
(b) Will You Be at home tonight Yes, I will*
No, I won’t
(c) When will Ann arrive? Next Saturday
(d) What time will the plane arrive? Three-thirty
(e) Where will you be tonight At home
* Note: will is not contracted with a pronoun in a short answer. See chart 2.2.p.25, for
information about the use of contractions in short answer
 VERB SUMMARY: PRESENT, PAST AND FUTURE
STATEMENT NEGATIVE QUESTION
Simple I eat lunch every day. I don’t eat breakfast Do you eat breakfast?
Present He eats lunch every day She doesn’t eat breakfast Does she eat lunch?
Present I am eating an apple I’m not eating a pear Are you eating a
Progressive right now She isn’t eating a pear banana?
She is eating an apple They aren’t eating pears Is he eating a banana?
They are eating apples Are they eating
bananas?
Simple Past He ate lunch yesterday He didn’t eat breakfast Did you eat breakfast?
Be Going To I am going to eat lunch I’m not going to eat Are you going to see
at noon breakfast tomorrow Ann tomorrow?
She is going to eat She isn’t going to eat Is she going to eat lunch
lunch at noon breakfast tomorrow tomorrow?
They are going to eat They aren’t going to eat Are they going to eat
lunch at noon breakfast tomorrow lunch tomorrow?
Will He will eat lunch He won’t eat breakfast Will he eat lunch
tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow?
 VERB SUMMARY: FORMS OF BE
STATEMENT NEGATIVE QUESTION
I am from Korea I am not from Jordan Am I in the right room?
Simple
He is from Egypt She isn’t from China Is she from Greece?
Present
They are from Venezuela They aren’t from Italy Are they from Kenya?
Simple Ann was late yesterday She wasn’t on time Was she in class?
Past They were late yesterday They weren’t on time Were they in class?
I am going to be late I’m not going to be on time Am I going to be late?
Be She is going to be late She isn’t going to be on timeIs she going to be late?
Going To They are going to be late They aren’t going to be on time
Are they going to be late
tomorrow
He will be at home He won’t be at home tomorrow Will he be at home
Will
tomorrow tomorrow?