This document discusses using the present continuous and "be going to" to talk about future plans and arrangements. It provides examples of using the present continuous to discuss specific activities Romy has planned for the coming week, and examples of using "be going to" to discuss future career plans and intentions. It notes the difference between using "be going to" to discuss plans that have not been arranged yet versus the present continuous for discussing already arranged plans. It also gives examples of using "be going to" to make predictions based on evidence.

1. ARRANGEMENTS,ARRANGEMENTS,
FUTURE PLANS ANDFUTURE PLANS AND
PREDICTIONSPREDICTIONS
Be going to, present continuousBe going to, present continuous

2. Arrangements
What’s Romy doing on…..
• Thursday?
Romy’s having a Japanese lesson at 7.
• Friday?
Romy’s having lunch with Mr. Dickens at 1.
• Saturday?
Romy’s playing tennis with Ted, Paul and
Lucy at half past three.
• Sunday?
Romy’s flying to Paris at half past one.
• Monday?
Romy’s staying in Paris.
• Tuesday?
Romy’s flying back to London at a quarter to seven
in the morning.

3. We use present continuous to talk
about things that we have already
arranged to do (everything is planned):
On Thursday Romy’s having a Japanese
lesson at 7.
We usually give the time/ period or date.

4. Future plans and
intentions
“What are you going to do when
you are an adult?”
“I’m going to …… be an astronaut”
“I’m going to …… live in a castle”
“I’m going to …… be rich”
“I’m going to …… marry a princess”
“I’m going to …. have three children”

5. We use “be going to” to talk about our future plans.
We often use time expressions such as “tomorrow”,
“next week”, “next year”, … with “be going to”:
We are going to paint the living room tomorrow
Next week Mary is going to play tennis with me

6. What’s the difference?
“I’m going to get a job for this summer”
“I’ve got a job! I’m starting tomorrow”
Use “Be going to” to talk
about things we plan to do but we
haven’t arranged yet (this is your
intention!)
Use “present continuous” to talk
about future things we have
already arranged (everything is
prepared)

7. Predictions
“Look at this blue sky! …
It’s going to be a sunny
day”
A: Mary looks fatter
B: She’s going to have a
baby!

8. Use “Be going to” to make a prediction
based on some evidence (something
that you see or know):
“Fernando Alonso is going to win the
race!”
“This boy is going to fall down the tree!”