Explaining future forms and uses (advanced): E5-02G

This file follows on from E3-01G. Students wanting to study all aspects of the future should look at that one first. This present file, by contrast, is for advanced level students. It develops reference table R5-01G and looks at some of the less common constructions used to talk about the future.

 

 

6

Schedules

Present simple

We arrive in Avignon at 19.35 local time. United travel to Italy today for Friday’s big game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Air France flight to Geneva leaves at 12.40, so you’ll have only 20 minutes to change planes.

We get in at ten to nine, but if you can’t pick us up at the airport we can catch the shuttle bus to the city centre and then walk to your place.

7

formal (eg political) reports / announcements

Is / are + to infinitive (unlikely to be used with am)

The P.M is to fly to Washington on Thursday. Petrol prices are to rise again next month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This construction is extremely common, but only in one particular context: that of formal news reporting, whether in the broadcast or print media (TV, Radio, Newspapers etc). This construction is used only in the 3^rd person:

 

 

 

 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is to publish its latest  assessment report later today.

Princess Charlotte of Ruritania is to marry.

The Rolling Stones are to play a giant free concert at Rio’s Copacabana beach.

 

8

Acts to be completed by a stated future time

Will / won’t + have + past participle (the ‘future perfect’ tense – note use of by)

By this time tomorrow, We’ll have flown to Zermatt, had our first Swiss meal, and taken the ski lift to the top of the slopes. (‘we’ll have’ need not be repeated)

 

 

 

 

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The use of ‘by’ for time

 

 

 

In using the future perfect, we always need the preposition by. When used to refer to time, ‘by’ means ‘up to and including, but not later than’ a stated time.

‘We’ll be home by six.’ = we get home at or before six, but not after six.

The future perfect is used to imagine the completion of something in the future – the idea that, by a given time, something will be finished or completed.

Yes, come over at six. I’ll have finished work by then.

By the middle of the century, scientists predict that global temperatures will have risen by at least….

 I sometimes worry that, by the time I’m forty, I still won’t have paid off my student loan.

 

 

9

Immediate future events / actions

Am / is / are + about + to infinitive

Look, that car is about to have its wheels clamped! The show is about to begin.

 

 

 

 

 

 This construction is also simple, and conveys the sense that an action or situation is imminent – that it will happen at any moment.

England are about to win a historic victory.

She’s about to turn 60. (referring to someone’s age)

Are you about to move house?

 

10

future in the past

Was / were etc + about + to infinitive

I was about to turn right when I was hit by a taxi. We were about to go to bed when the phone rang.

 

 

 

  

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This works exactly the same, except that it is situated in the past, so that it refers to something which was, rather than is, about to happen. In this case, the action may well be aborted

 

 

They were about to leave the restaurant when they realised….

And this can also be used in the past perfect.

They had been about to leave the restaurant when they (had) realised……

One further example of each

I was about to join a jazz dance class when I saw a TV programme featuring a contemporary dance ensemble. So I learnt contemporary instead of jazz.

Simon had been about to copy and paste an article for his students when his computer suddenly shut down.

An aborted action is not essential:

When we arrived, the concert was about to start.

Notice in all the above, the following clause beginning with ‘when’ to show what action or situation aborted the one which was to have happened.

past intentions

Was/were going to

I was going to take an exotic holiday, but I had to cancel it. We were going to have four kids, but eventually we settled for two.

 

 

 

 

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Finally, this future-in-the-past effect can also be extended to intentions:

 

 

In this case, we may often, but not necessarily, have something changing.

I was going to get a job for the summer holidays, but then my new friend Saudi invited me to visit his family for the holidays, all expenses paid!

I’m sorry you didn’t find us at home, but I did tell you we were going out for the afternoon!

And again, the same construction works in the past perfect:

I had been going to tell her that it was finished between us, but when I saw her face, I just couldn’t do it.

She had been going to fax me the lab results last Thursday, but then there was a problem with one of them, so she waited until Saturday afternoon.

However, with the past perfect, as above, a change of pans is definitely involved.