Future. How to talk about future events

1. Future

How to talk about future events

2. Present Continuous vs. Present Simple

I’m doing
• I’ve already decided and
arranged to do these things
NB
• I’m doing = I’m going to do
• Timetables, programs
• People’s plans if they are
fixed like timetables
NB
• Pr.C. is more usual for
personal arrangements

3. I’m doing vs. I’m going to do

The difference is small and either form is possible
• I’ve arranged to do this
• I’ve decided to do it but
probably haven’t arranged
yet
• Smth is going to happen

4. I was going to do

• I decided to do smth but didn’t do
• Smth was going to happen but didn’t

5. Present Continuous vs. Future simple

I’m doing
• I have already
decided and
arranged to do
these things
I will
• I decide to do smth at the time of
speaking
• I offer / agree / promise to do smth
• I ask smb to do smth
• With ‘probably’, ‘sure’, ‘I think /
expect / wonder / hope’
NB After ‘hope’ Pr.S. is possible
NB Shall is used mostly in the ?s ‘Shall
I/we …?’ (to ask smb’s opinion)

6. Future Simple vs. Be going to

Probability
• Ex.: It’ll probably rain
Facts
• Ex.: Look at those black
clouds, it’s going to rain

7. Future Continuous

I’ll be doing
• To be in the middle of doing smth in the future
• = be going to do smth

8. Future Perfect

I’ll have done
• Smth will already be complete before a time in
the future