Future Time Expressions

We use many tenses to express the future in English, there is a list here with all the tenses used to introduce the idea of a the future in sentences according with the meaning and the situation.

1. Present Simple tense: it is used to express habits and events scheduled in a timetable.

E.g. She travels tomorrow to London. The train arrives at 8.30.

The doctor visits his patients on Monday. The plane takes off at 11.00.

2. Present Continuous tense: it is used to talk about plans and appointments in a period not far than a week.

E.g. I am going to the hairdresser on Saturday. I am visiting my aunt on Sunday. We are leaving this city on Monday. The children are going to the dentist on Tuesday.

3. Future Simple tense: we use the modal auxiliary verb “ will” added to the main verb in the Infinitive form to express the far-distant future, predictions with a low probability, decisions, etc.

E.g. The girl says she will study Law. The meteorite will collide on the Earth. I will follow you.

 Will you phone me?           Yes, I will.   No, I won´t.   Yes, we will.   No, we won´t.

The president affirms he will win the next elections too.      They will not / won´t help us in the garden.

4. To Be Going To: this is used to express an immediate future, predictions that are going to happen with certainty, arrangements for the near future, such as today, tomorrow or plans that the speaker is sure to undertake in the next year.

E.g. I am going to study French and Theatre next year in Paris. He is going to have a shower. We are going to play tennis on Tuesday. It is going to rain soon. It is going to snow tomorrow.

5. Future Continuous tense: to express an action that will happen during a certain time in the future.

E.g. I will be celebrating Christmas with my friends in Austria next year. You will be working during Easter next year in France. This time next month we will be helping children in Africa. She will be working in the restaurant next weekend. They will be sleeping all day tomorrow.

6. Future Perfect tense: to express an action finished in a precise moment in the future.

E.g. They will have built the bridge by next summer. Then, you will have finished your degree. She will have finished her tasks by the time the boss arrives. It will have stopped by noon.