2. Will
1.) A future action or event at the point of
decision
I’ll go to Paragon with you this evening, I think.
2.) to make a predictions about the future
You will meet a tall, dark stranger.
3.) to make promises
I’ll buy you a car for your birthday.
3. Going to
1.) Intentions or plans and arrangements based on
intentions
We are going to visit our friends in New Zealand
next winter.
2.) Future events and actions based on present
evidence, especially when we can see that the event
is imminent.
Watch out! We’re going to hit that tree!
4. Present Continuous
1.) plans and arrangements for the future.
A time reference often makes the future meaning
clear.
What are you doing tonight?
We are meeting early tomorrow morning.
5. Present Simple
Timetables and schedules
Our train leaves at 6.30 tomorrow morning.
The present simple is used with future reference in
subordinate clauses after time conjunctions such as
when, before, until, as soon as
We’ll reply when we hear from you.
I hope you’ll write to us as soon as you get home.
6. Be + infinitive
Rules or instructions
Official plans
News reports
Staff are not to use company telephones for personal
calls.
The Prime Minister is to visit South America next
month.
7. Future continuous
An action or event in progress at a specific time in the
future
This time next week, I’ll be lying on a beach in the
sun.
11. Future in the past:
was/were going to/ would +verb
to look back to a past time and talk about the future
as it was at that past time
By the time I left school I knew I was going to/ would
become a doctor.
