Future tenses in English

Many students use WILL for everything in

the FUTURE!
BUT this is not entirely CORRECT! There
are various future tenses in ENGLISH.
1. PREDICTIONS:

Use will/won't or going to

For example, the economy will grow this year. = The economy is going
to grow this year.

Use will/won't with the first conditional sentence. (IF)

For example, if you practice every day, your English will improve.
For example, if you won't study, you won't pass the end-of-term tests.
2. INTENSIONS:

Use going to
Intention = You want to do something, but you haven't
take action yet!
For example, this year, I am going to lose weight or this
term I am going to pass my exams, or I am going to join
a gym.
3. PLANS & ARRANGEMENTS
When you have already taken some action to make the plan a
reality in the future.
There are THREE possible tenses to use:
a. Going to: We’re going to visit him next week.
b.Present continuous: We’re visiting him next week.
c. Future continuous: We’ll be visiting him next week.
In this context, these are essentially the same
4. DECISIONS IN MOMENT, PROMISES, OFFERS
Use WILL
For example, ordering in a restaurant: I’ll have the chicken
salad. (decision in moment)

For example, I will call you five o’clock. (promising)

I’ll help you with the homework. (offering)
5. SCHEDULED EVENTS in the FUTURE
Use the PRESENT SIMPLE
 Transportation schedules.
 Conferences/events
 Things that operate on a regular schedule (store-bank)
For example
Our flight leaves at 8:00
Our flight will leave at 8:00
The conference will start starts tonight. Because, it’s a SCHEDULED
EVENT!
6. EVENTS that WILL be COMPLETED BEFORE a SPECIFIC
TIME in the FUTURE!
Use the FUTURE PERFECT! (between now and a future point)
Pretend like it’s twelve o’clock (12:00-noon), and I need to finish a
project before five o’clock (5 PM)

I can say, “By 5 PM, I will have finished the project.” Because the
completion of project comes between now and five o’clock (5PM).

The FUTURE PERFECT is typically used with BY/BY THE TIME

Some people call the FUTURE PERFECT, “The PAST in
the FUTURE” Because I’m imagining being at a future point
in time FIVE O’CLOCK and looking back on action that has
been completed in the PAST!
HOMEWORK:

Write or say three sentences (with WILL / WON'T or GOING TO)

predicting what is going to happen in the world during the next ten years.

Write or say one thing you are going to do and one thing you are NOT
going to do this year. Write or express three sentences about plans or
arrangements you have for the upcoming months.
Imagine that your best friend is very sick and can't leave the
house. Write or say one thing that you can do to help her
(using "I'll...").

What's one thing you will have done by this date next year?
(Use the future perfect: for example "By this time next year, I
will have written a book,")