The Future

In English there is not a single future tense, there are many ways to talk about the future

• present continuous – future plan
  • Jim’s coming in an hour for my class
  • I’m flying at 1800 on 24^th November

  • I’m having dinner at a Chinese restaurant this evening (I have booked a table)

• be going to + inf – intention

  • I’m going to play table tennis at the weekend

  • I’m going to have dinner at a Chinese restaurant this evening (I haven’t booked a table)

• will (shall) + inf – predicition & making a decision at the time of speaking

  • “What are you doing at the weekend?” “Oh, I don’t know, I think I’ll go shopping.”

  • I think I’ll come back to the UK on 10^th January

• present simple – timetable

  • The plane leaves at 1800

  • The film starts at 2040

• may / should / might / could + inf – modal future

  • We should leave in an hour

  • We might go shopping at the weekend