The document discusses various uses of future tenses in English including predictions, plans, arrangements, promises and instant decisions. It provides examples of different future tense forms such as "will", "going to", "present continuous" and "future perfect". It also includes exercises for the reader to practice using future tenses in sentences about plans, predictions and responding to other people's plans and predictions.

1. Future
tenses

2. Talk for a minute about each of the
following:
– Your arrangements for this
evening.
– Your intentions for next year.
– Your predictions for the planet
for 2020.

3. Brainstorm
forms to
express the
future
will…

4. Future

5. Uses of the future
match the future tenses
with the following uses
Predictions (when you can see the evidence).
Timetabled events.
Instant decisions.
Predictions (based on no evidence).
Arrangements = plans already organized.
Suggestions + offers.
Promises.
Plans.
Offers.

6. Future simple
 Spontaneous decisions
 Let’s go, I’ll buy you an ice-cream!
 Time clauses & Conditionals
 If I win the lottery, I’ll buy a boat
 Promises and offers
 I’ll help you with your luggage!
 Predictions which are not sure to happen
 Next year the school will move to a new building
 After “I think…”
 I think I’ll take a short nap. I’m so tired
Will + infinitive

7. shall
– When we offer to do something, and this takes
the form of a question, we use shall together
with I and we.
Shall I throw away this bread?
What I shall I do with my old phone?
Where shall we go for lunch today?

8. Future with “going to”
 Future plans
We are going to have a party as soon as we
move house.
Predictions based on an evidence
Look at those dark clouds. It’s going to rain.
be going to +
infinitive

9. Present continuous
– We use the present continuous when there is an
arrangement to do something – something has been
organized.
We’re having Liz and Nick for dinner tonight.
I’m meeting my bank manager tomorrow.
– There is sometimes very little difference between a plan,
and an arrangement, and we can often use either going to
or the present continuous.
to be + -ing

14. Talk about a plan you have…
– For this evening
– For the weekend
– For your next holiday
– To save money or spend less
– To improve your diet
– To learn something new
Make a prediction about…
– The environment
– Your favourite sports club
– The economy and unemployment
– An actor, singer, or group you like
– Your friends’ or family members’ career
– The characters in a TV series you watch
Responding to plans and
predictions
Plans
I’m going to..
Are you? So am I!
What a good idea! How nice!
Predictions
I don’t think…will / is going to…
I think so too.
I don’t think so either.
I hope so. I hope not

15. Future
Continuous
 to express an action in progress at a
certain time in the future.
In two weeks’ time, we will be enjoying our
Christmas celebrations
To ask about someone’s plans
Will you be seeing Laura this evening?
will be + -ing

16. Future Perfect
 to express an action that will be
complete in the future
In 4 weeks’ time we will have started a
new year
Will have + past
participle

17. How well can you
use these tenses?
I can’t believe that in June we _______
married for 20 years! (BE)

18. How well can you
use these tenses?
I can’t believe that in June we
_______ married for 20 years! (BE)
will have been
(action complete in the future)

19. We ___ back before six unless we
catch the earlier train (NOT BE)

20. We ___ back before six unless we
catch the earlier train (NOT BE)
won’t be
(1st conditional)

21. Oh no! Look at that traffic jam.
We __ !
(BE LATE)

22. Oh no! Look at that traffic jam.
We __ !
(BE LATE)
are going to be
(prediction based on an evidence)

23. What do you think we ____ this time
next year?
(DO)

24. What do you think we ____ this time
next year?
(DO)
will be doing
(action happening at a
specific point in the future)

25. I’ll tell you what the plans are
as soon as I _____ them.
(KNOW)

26. I’ll tell you what the plans are
as soon as I _____ them.
(KNOW)
know
(time clause)

27. By the end of this course you ___
1,000 words.
(LEARN)

28. By the end of this course you ___
1,000 words.
(LEARN)
will have learned/learnt
(action completed in the future)

29. I can’t meet you at 9:00.
I ____ my maths exam.
It starts at 8:30 (DO)

30. I can’t meet you at 9:00.
I ____ my maths exam.
It starts at 8:30 (DO)
will be doing
(action in progress
in the future)

31. __ you ___ anything interesting
this weekend?
(DO)

32. __ you ___ anything interesting
this weekend?
(DO)
Are you doing
(asking for future plans)
Will you be doing
(asking for plans which are sure to happen
if you know this person always goes somewhere at weekends)

33. If we don’t hurry, by the time we get
there the concert____.
(START)

34. If we don’t hurry, by the time we get
there the concert____.
(START)
will have started
(the action of “starting” will be complete)

35. Don’t forget we ____ dinner at your
sister’s this evening.

36. Don’t forget we ____ dinner at your
sister’s this evening.
(HAVE)
are having / are going to have
(future arrangements)

37. I ___ all my homework after dinner.
I promise! (DO)

38. I ___ all my homework after dinner.
I promise! (DO)
will do

39. You are sure to recognise me at the
station. I ____ a pink tie!
(WEAR)

40. You are sure to recognise me at the
station. I ____ a pink tie!
(WEAR)
will be wearing
(notice that we always use the verb “wear”
in the continuous form! …and we are referring
to a specific time in the future)

41. Don’t worry about your dog. I ____ it
while you are away
(LOOK AFTER)

42. Don’t worry about your dog. I ____ it
while you are away
(LOOK AFTER)
will look after
(offer or promise)
will be looking after
(action in progress in the future)

43. Don’t phone between 5 and 7.
I ____ the cup final.
(WATCH)

44. Don’t phone between 5 and 7.
I ____ the cup final.
(WATCH)
will be watching
(action in progress in the future)
am going to watch
(arranged plan)