Explaining basic future form and use - E3-01G

 

 

 

 

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intermediate English grammar explaining future tense basic form and use
This file looks at basic future constructions and uses and is recommended for intermediate and upper intermediate level students

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Plans/intentions

Am/is/are going + to infinitive

We’re going to take our holidays later this year. Are you going to sit the exams in June?

 

 

 

 

In this explanation file, we will look in more detail at the uses of the future which we gave in the reference table RP3-01G. Above is the first row (of five) from that table.

Possibly the easiest aspect of the future to understand is the use of ‘going to + infinitive to talk about plans, intentions, decisions which we take in advance. This is the language to use when we have decided to do something later:

I’m going to visit my cousin next weekend.

We’re going to see if we can get tickets for the concert at Wembley stadium.

Is she going to study biology or biochemistry at uni (university)?

Corresponding to this is the typical question: What are you going to do this weekend? …. this summer? etc

This question is about the same as asking: ‘What are your plans?’ and in general we can think of going to… as being related to plans we have for the future.

2

Things which you can see will happen in a moment

As above▲

You’re going to be cold if you go out with no coat! We’re going to be late, hurry up!

 

 

 

The other common situation for which we use this same piece of language - going to + infinitive – is where we talk about something which see is about to happen. This doesn’t need lots of explaining. Here are two more examples:

If it doesn’t stop raining soon, the farmers say, they’re going to lose most of their wheat crop.

Look, with your present attitude, you’re going to fail this exam.

3

Spur-of-the-moment decisions

Will (‘ll) + infinitive without to [negative: will not (won’t)]

‘Actually, I won’t have the lamb, I’ll have the fish.’ ‘It’s just started raining. I’ll give you a lift home.’

 

 

 

 

This may be quite strange for non-English speakers, but it is usually quite definite among native users of English, that when we take a decision not in advance but right now, we use will / will not (usually contracted to ‘ll and won’t).

The typical situation which produces this language is when our plans are disrupted, so we have to react to an unexpected circumstance and ‘think on our feet’ as we say. In the first example above, the person in a restaurant is looking at the menu trying to decide what to tell the waiter – he / she has not decided in advance what food to order. In the second example, the car owner reacts to the start of wet weather by spontaneously offering to take the other person – who does not have a car – home.

The second person might reply: ‘No that’s O.K, John, you needn’t bother. I’ll just call a taxi.’

Or again, look at: ‘Mr. Roberts? Please take a seat. I won’t keep you a moment.’  

This would be said by a person who has invited someone to visit them at their office, but is on the phone etc when the visitor arrives.

This looks nasty, Mrs. Hussein, I think we’ll take a couple of x-rays.

This is said by a doctor who is worried that her patient may have one or more broken bones.

4

Natural / public future events

As 2 above▲ but no contractions in formal usage

The Mayor will not open the annual garden party this year.        It will soon be the longest day of the year.

 

 

 

 

Here, we again use the will / will not construction - though often not in the contracted (‘ll, won’t) form - but this time for quite a different purpose:

This is the form which we use to describe natural or public events in the future. Here, the individual cannot control what will happen, either because it is a natural event:

There will be a partial eclipse of the sun on the 9^th October at 12.35   

or because the event involves people and circumstances over which the speaker has no influence.

The England team to play France on Saturday will contain two new players.

The foreign minister will join the negotiations this evening.

England will not adopt the euro as its official currency.

 

5

Arrangements

Am / is  are + -ing

We’re meeting Rosie for tea at 4.30. I’m not having my hair cut until next week.

 

 

 

We have one more piece of language which is in common use to talk about the future: the present continuous tense. If someone says

We’re watching the match at the pub tonight.

They obviously don’t mean something which is going on at this moment. In fact, we use the present continuous also to talk about future situations where an arrangement has been made.

I’m putting the car in for a service tomorrow.

Are you coming for a drink later?

We’re meeting Marco and Ben at 7.00.

It’s often possible to make the distinction between going to - where the action is an individual one which involves only me and my decision - and the present continuous – where the action involves an agreement between two or more people, or between a person and an institution.

I’m having lunch with the marketing people, then they’re showing me around the factory. (I’m going to wear my suit, because I need to make a good impression.)   

Finally, please note that there are a number of other constructions used to talk about the future in English. We explore those in advanced and proficiency level files.