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18
Ways of expressing the future
Will + infinitive
Will
Will often expresses the future as fact, something we cannot control. It expresses a prediction, a definite opinion about the future.
Southern England will stay cloudy and windy tonight.
My father will probably be in hospital for at least two weeks.
We can sometimes use I'll/we'll for an instant decision.
It's raining. I'll take an umbrella.
We decide more or less as the words are spoken. Compare be going to.
I'll buy some postcards. (I'm deciding now.)
I'm going to buy some postcards. (I've already decided.)
We can use I'll/we'll and will/won't you in offers, promises, etc.
Offer: I'll hold the door open for you. ~ Oh, thanks.
Promise: (I promise) I'll do my best to help you.
Invitation: Won't you sit down?
Request: Will you do something for me?
Going to
Intention
Going to
We use be going to + base form for a present situation which points to the future.
It's ten already. We're going to be late.
We can see from the time that we are going to be late, and we can see from the
condition of the fence that it is going to fall down.
Be going to expresses a
prediction based on these situations.
We can also use be going to for a present intention.
I'm going to start my own business. I'm not going to live here all my life.
Here the intention points to a future action. I'm going to start means that I intend to start/I have decided to start.
We use the present continuous for what someone has arranged to do.
I'm meeting Gavin at the club tonight.
Present simple and continuous
present continuous vs going to
The meaning is similar to be going to for an intention, and in many contexts we can use either form.
We're visiting/ We're going to visit friends at the weekend.
present simple
We can sometimes use the present simple for the future, but only for what we see as part of a timetable.
The Cup Final is on May 7th. The train leaves at 16.40.
The future continuous: will be doing
Future continuous
We use will + be + active participle for an action over a period of future time. It
means that we will be in the middle of an action.
I can't meet you at four. I'll be working.
Compare
Compare these sentences.
The crowd will cheer when the Queen arrives.
(She will arrive and then the crowd will cheer.)
The crowd will be cheering when the Queen arrives.
(The crowd will start cheering before she arrives.)
We can also use will be doing for an action which is the result of a routine or arrangement.
I'll be phoning my mother tonight. I always phone her on Fridays.
The postman will be coming soon.
Arrangements
The future perfect: will have done
Future perfect
We can use will + have+ past participle to look back from the future, to talk about something that will be over at a future time.
I'll have finished this book soon. I'm nearly at the end.
We don't want to spend all day in the museum. I should think we'll have seen
enough by lunch-time