What grammar can you use to talk about the future in English?
There are four grammar patterns that you can use to talk about the future in English. Let’s take a look at each of these in this lesson.
Use Be Going To For the Future
We use be going to + verb when there is a set plan, an appointment, and so on. Keep in mind that in conversational English, going to is pronounced as gonna.
- Jenny is gonna see a musical tonight.
- A friend of mine is going to get married this weekend
- I am going to go to the beach this weekend.
Use The Present Progressive Tense For the Future
We use the present progressive tense when there is a set plan, an appointment, and so on. Remember, the structure of the present progressive is Be Verb + Verb-ING:
- Jenny is seeing a musical tonight.
- A friend of mine is getting married this weekend
- I am going to the beach this weekend.
Use Will For the Future
In general, we use will to make a prediction or guess, and / or when there is not a set plan:
- Maybe Jenny will have dinner after the show.
- Someday, I will find true love…
- I think I will move to Florida when I retire.
Use The Simple Present Tense For the Future
We use the simple present tense for the future when we talk about schedules, timetables, and future events that have a fixed starting or ending time:
- The musical starts at 8:15pm.
- The hotel told me that check-in begins at 2:00
- Work starts at 9am every morning.
Keep in mind the best way to remember this or any vocabulary in English is to take the word or phrase write it in a sentence that’s true for you or true in your world and then memorize your sentences.
You can even take your sentences and write them in the comments below. I would love to see your examples. And if you really want help with vocabulary, sign up for my free vocabulary workshop (see below).
If you know anyone who might be interested in this English language point, why not help them out! Just share this lesson with them. Thanks for studying today!
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