Future

Tenses
Marcela Borges Prado
Letras Diurno

FUTURE TENSES
In English we dont have ONE
future tense. We use several
forms to talk about different ideas
about the future.

Will;
Be goint to;
Present
continuous;

WILL

Form: will + infinitive without to

USES
o To express a sudden decision
made at the moment of speaking:

Two roommates are at home:

John: Michael, someones at the
door.
Michael: Ok. Ill get it. (BLEND,

When the phone rings in the office,

and you decide at that moment to
answer the phone, you can say:
Ill get it.
When the teacher asks the class,
Who wants to read their answer to
the homework? you can say, Ill
go first.

oTo express promises:

-Dad, can you land me some
money, please? I need to buy
something for me. Ill spend
it carefully.

- I will be by
your side

until the end

of time.

-John, I need your

English book. My
test is coming.
-Dont worry. Ill
bring it tonight

-My darling, I
will love
you forever.

oExpress the speakers expectations and

predictions about events that are
uncertain. These sentences can include
probably, maybe, I guess, I hope, I
think:
-President Dilma will
probably win the
election this year.

-I think Brazil
will win the
World Cup.

oTo make a request or an offer.

-Will you hold this bag for me?
-Will you open the window?

oWe use will when we talk about

willingness to do something (e.g
offers, invitations, requests, and
orders) and will not when we talk
about unwillingess to do something
(e.g reluctance, refusal) [HEWINGS,
2002, p. 36]
-I'll do the washing-up.

BE GOING
TO

oForm: Be going to + infinitive without to

USES
o To express a persons in intention or plans
-Im going to
study
chemistry

-Im going to
the party.

o Express expectations and predictions

that are based on evidence or knowledge. In
conversation, it often refers to the immediate
future, especially when the speaker sees
evidence that something is about to happen:
There are black clouds in the sky and the
wind is starting to blow very hard:
-Look at those dark clouds. Its
going to rain.

Hmmm... I am
going to sleep !

WILL
X
GOING TO

oTO EXPRESS EXPECTATIONS and PREDICTIONS: use

either WILL or BE GOING TO
BE GOING TO: PREDICTIONS based on EVIDENCE, in
something that we FEEL or SEE (etc.)
WILL: PREDICTIONSBASED on our OPINION or PAST
EXPERIENCE.
oIN FORMAL STYLE, we use will rather than going to to
talk about future EVENTS THAT HAVE BEEN
PREVIOUSLY ARRANGED in some detail:
-The meeting will begin at 10.00 am. Coffee will be
available from 9.30 onwards

PRESENT
CONTINUOU
S

oForm: Subject + IS/ARE + Verb (present participle

form)
USES
oThe present continuous can refer to planned future
events. In this case, some kind of arrengments have
usually been made. The future time (tomorrow, next
week, on Sunday) must be stated in the sentence or
understood in the context (BLAND, 1996, p. 94):
-What are your plans for tomorrow?
-Im having lunch with Brian.

o The Present Continuous is used to

refer to arrangements between people.
It is not used to refer to events that
people cant control. We cannot say:
oIts raining tomorrow (INCORRECT!)

oWe DONT use Present Continuous when we

talk about permanent future situations

oTheir house is going to have / will have three

floors, (not ...is having...)
oWe DONT use Present Continuous with the
verb BE:
-Im going to be in Paris next week (NOT Im
being in Paris next week)

X
PRESENT
CONTINUOU
S

When we talk about an INTENTION to

do something in the future, although no
definite arrangement has been made,
we prefer going to rather than the
present continuous. To emphasize that
we are talking about a DEFINITE
ARRANGEMENT, we prefer the present
continuous (HEWINGS, p. 23).

- Before I go to China next year, I'm

going to learn some Cantonese,

(rather than...I'm learning some
Cantonese.)

-They're leaving from Frankfurt

airport at 6.30 pm. (rather than
They're going to leave...)

PRESENT
SIMPLE

oForm: Subject + Verb (present form)

USES
oThe Simple Present can refer to a future
program, schedule, or itinerary. The speaker
generally cannot change these arrengments.
(BLAND, 1996, p. 95)

- The conference starts on Tuesday evening

and ends on Saturday afternoon (BLAND,
1996, p. 95);
-Flight 304 departs from Gate 6 at 7 p.m
(BLAND, 1996, p. 95)

o For PERSONAL PLANS or PREDICTIONS we

don't use the present simple. Instead we use will,
going to, or the present continuous:
Although it is a problem only in Britain at the
moment, I think it will affect the rest of Europe soon
(not ...I think it affects the rest...) [HEWINGS, p. 23].

Hurry up! The

train leaves in
ten minutes.

WE ALSO HAVE

Future
Continuous;
Future Perfect;
Future Perfect

FUTURE
CONTINUOU
S

oForm: will
participle)

be

verb

(present

USES
oWe use the future continuous to talk
about something that will be in progress
at or around a time in the future
(http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/pt-br/grammar-reference/futurecontinuous-future-perfect)

I will begin to study at seven. You

will come at eight. I will be
studying when you come (AZAR,
p. 60)
I will be saying more about that
topic in my next lecture.(HEWINGS,
p. 28).

oWe use future continuous when the

future activity or event is the result of a
previous
decision
or
arrangement
(HEWINGS, p. 28)

-He will be taking up his place in the job in

October. (a result of a previous decision)

FUTURE
PERFECT

Form: will + have + verb (past

participle)
USES
o

The future perfect express an

activity that will be completed before
another time or event in the future.
(AZAR, p. 62)
The clause is introduced by the
expression by the time; as a time
clause we use the simple present.

-By the time you get home, I will

have cleaned the house from top
to bottom.

FUTURE
PERFECT
PROGRESSI
VE

oForm: Subject + WILL HAVE

BEEN + Verb present participle

USES
o We use the future perfect
progressive to emphasise how long
something has been going on by a
particular point in the future
(HEWINGS, p. 30)
Next year, Ben and his wife will
have been living together for 50
years.

 REFERENCES

Hewings, M. Advanced Grammar in Use. 7th ed.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2002.
AZAR, BS. Understanding and using English
grammar. 3rd ed. New York: 2002
BLAND, SK. Intermediate Grammar: From Form to
Meaning and Use. Oxford: Oxford University
Press. 1996
SOARS L, SOARS J, SAYER P, MAY P. New
Headway. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/pt-br/grammarreference/future-continuous-future-perfect