The future tenses
As we already talked about the present and past, this entry will complete the tenses. This page shall give you a short overview over the different ways to talk about the future in English:
Using present tense to talk about the future
You can use the present tense to say something about the future:
Simple present: Plans, arrangements, timetables
◦"My train leaves at 11:30 am“
◦"My new school starts on Monday.“
Present progressive: Plans, arrangements
◦"I‘m going to the cinema this weekend“
◦"We are meeting at 08:00 pm.“
Present progressive: Just before you do it
◦"I‘m going to bed now.“
Going-to-future
Intention to do something / Someone has already decided to do something:
◦I’m going to clean my room.
◦He is going to wash the dishes.
◦The children are going to play in the garden after lunch.
The situation makes clear what is going to happen:
◦The boy in the blue shirt is going to win.
◦The cars are going to crash into each other.
You can also say “Somebody was going to do something, but didn’t do it"
◦We were going to fly to New York, but the flight was cancelled.
◦He was going to buy a new car, but he had to use the money otherwise.
Will-future
The will-future is used when…
… someone is predicting the future:
◦“I think the train will come at 9pm.”
◦“I am convinced we will pass our exams.”
… we are talking about unpreventable circumstances:
◦“The sun will rise tomorrow.”
“Water will boil at 100 degrees Celsius.”
… you just decided to do something spontaneously:
◦“Your bags look pretty heavy. I will help you carry them to your door.”
◦“It is late already. I will go home soon.”
◦ "Wait, I will help you cross the street!"
Future progressive
The future progressive is practically the ing-form of the will-future. It is used for...
... events in the future which usually take place at the same time:
◦This time next Saturday we will be playing tennis again.
◦Don’t call me at 7 am, I’ll be making breakfast for my son by then.
... events that have already started and continue in the future:
◦Will James still be sleeping at 10 o‘clock? –Yes, he’ll still be sleeping at 10 o’clock.
◦Don’t phone grandpa now, he’ll be having lunch.
Future perfect
You can use this tense to talk about something that will be finished in the future:
Future perfect simple:
◦"I will have done my homework by Friday.“
◦ "Where do you see yourself in ten years?" - "Oh, I will have won the lottery and be rich!"
◦Will + have + past participle
--> You want to emphasize that you are sure it will be finished by that time.
Future perfect progressive:
◦"We will have been studying for two years when we finish this school.“
◦ "If Steve wakes up now, he will have been sleeping for 14 hours!"
◦Will + have + been + ing-form
--> Here the focus is on the period of time that something will probably take.