Ways to talk about the future

As we can see in other units of this course, there are various ways to talk about future events and actions without using the future tenses. Below you can see a summary.

• Present Simple
• Present Continuous
• to be going to
• to be about to
• to be on the point of
• to be on the verge of
• to be to
• to be due to
• Future Simple
• Future Continuous
• Modal Verbs

1. Present Simple

a) Referring to the future:

We use the present simple to refer to the future, especially to talk about timetables and schedules.

The plane arrives at 10 am.

The concert starts at 9pm.

b) In clauses of time and condition

We use the present simple in clauses of time and conditions referring to a point in the future.

It is used after: when, if, unless, before, after, until, as soon as, whenever, etc.

I will give him the book when I see him.

If it rains, we will say at home.

As soon as we arrive home, I will make dinner.

The bus leaves at 4.15pm.

For more details, see the separate unit on the Future Time Clauses.

2. Present continuous

We use the present continuous to refer to planned future actions and personal arrangements, especially with verbs which express movement.

She is flying to New York on Wednesday.

We are driving to France next week.

Peter is travelling to the UK next month.

We can use the Present Continuous for both near future events and more distant events if they have been arranged (organised).

I’m having lunch with my friends tomorrow.

We’re running the marathon next year.

The Present Continuous cannot be used for predictions:

You are getting sick if you continue smoking so much!

3. to be going to

We use ‘to be going to’ express:

• Intentions (more informal than ‘will’)

I am going to learn Turkish one day!

I’m going to phone you (when I have time).

• Planned actions (in the same way as the Present Continuous and Future Continuous)

We’re going to travel round Africa next year.

Jack’s going to study Business at the university.

• Predictions (especially when we have evidence)

It’s going rain today. (I can see the clouds.)

This girl is going to be famous soon!

4. to be (just) about to

We use to be about to to talk about actions that are going to happen immediately.

Careful! The vase is about to fall!

In the negative, it means ‘we don’t intend to do something!

The Government isn’t about to decrease income taxes.

5. to be (just) on the point of / verge of

We use to be on the point of and to be on the verge of to talk about actions that are going to happen immediately.

I’m just on the verge of handing in my notice to my boss.

Peter was on the point of giving his son a good talking to when the boy started crying.

6. to be to

We use to be to to talk about formal arrangements, appointments, instructions, and obligations.

The Council is to meet in Davos next June.

You are not to talk about this agreement to anyone!

7. to be due to

We use to be due to to talk about timetables and formal arrangements.

The meeting is due to start in half an hour.

8. Future Simple (will)

We use the Future Simple to:

• Express a decision made in the moment of speaking
• Talk about something we predict will happen but we have no evidence

For more details, see the separate unit on the Future Simple.

9. Future Continuous

We use the Future Continuous to talk about planned future actions. We use it the same way as the Present Continuous and ‘to be going to’.

For more details, see the separate unit on the Future Continuous.

7. Modal Verbs

We use the modal verbs to express possibility, probability, certainty, etc. in the present and future.

For more details, see the separate module on the Modal Verbs.