Talking about the future

1. FUTURE
FORMS
Isabel Bastida &
Ana Mena
C1

2. Talking about the future
These are the main tenses and forms we use in English to
talk about the future:
 Be going to: for intentions and plans
When I finish Secondary school, I’m going to go on a gap year.
 WILL: for spontaneous decisions, including offers, requests and
promises, and to make predictions based on personal opinion:
Education will undergo several major reforms over the next five years.
Will you send me an email with the notes you took in class today,
please?
We’ll go on a school trip when we finish our exams, I promise!
 Present continuous: for arrangements
I’m seeing the head of department this evening.
 Present simple: for timetables, schedules
1st term starts on 26th September and finishes on 1st February.

3. Future perfect and continuous
 In five years, all schools will be using tablets instead of actual books.
 I’m sure I’ll be seeing Emma sometime soon.
Future continuous describes an event which will be happening at a future
point.
 I’ll have finished the report by the end of next week.
Future perfect is used to say that something will be finished before a certain
time in the future.
These time expressions are usually found together with future
continuous and perfect:
“by Saturday / March …” or
“in two weeks (‘ time) / months(‘ time) …..”
“This time tomorrow / next week ….”
“Tomorrow at ….., I’ll be …”

4. PREDICTIONS
Classify the expressions in bold into the right category.
1. I’m certain that tourism in Spain will rocket in the next few years.
2. I doubt whether the local festival can attract some tourists.
3. I would imagine that there will be some restoration works in progress.
4. There’s no doubt that a coffee at St. Mark’s Square will be a rip-off.
5. There’s a chance that we will see the Dali exhibition at Reina Sofia.
6. There’s no way that I will dive among sharks. That’s not for me.
7. The chances are that most tourists will have to pay fee for recording.

5.  Use one of the time expressions in combination with an infinitive
structure to say when these predictions might come true.
1. Medical tourism will grow.
2. Trips to the Moon will be commonplace.
3. Tourists won’t need to buy local currency.
4. Holidaymakers will rent rooms under the sea.
5. A 3D device to enjoy extreme experiences such as bungee jumping
will be marketed.
6. The number of tourists visiting Spain will plummet.
By the middle of this century In the next few years
In five years’ time Within a decade or so
(not) In the foreseeable future (not) In my lifetime
In the near future In the coming decade
One day In the distant future

6. Other ways to refer to the future
BE TO: This is used to describe formal arrangements:
 The president of the States is to come next month.
BE ABOUT TO / BE ON THE POINT OF/ BE ON THE VERGE OF: they refer to
the next moment (near future events):
 I think the play is about to start / is on the point of starting
BE DUE TO: it refers to scheduled times:
 Ann’s flight is due at 5.
BE BOUND/ SURE/ CERTAIN TO: To talk about things considered inevitable:
 The new road works are sure to annoy drivers as soon as they start.
We sometimes just use the verb TO BE together with adjectives such as
imminent, forthcoming, impending, …. However, it might sound formal and
often only in written language.
BE SET TO: In journalism, when something is likely to happen.
 Campaigners are set to challenge the decision in court.
BE LIKELY TO: highly probable
 Teachers are likely to go on strike to complain about education cuts in Spain.