Unit 3 talking about the future

You cannot talk about the future with as much certainty as you can about the present or the past. You are usually talking about what you think might happen. There is no obvious future tense in English corresponding to the time / tense relation as for present and past. Instead there are several possibilities for denoting future time.

1. The Present Simple is used to refer to the future:

1. in clauses of time and condition, e.g. after if, unless, in case, when, as soon as, until, before, etc.

Please wait here until I get back.

Note: we find will in subordinate clauses of condition if it expresses obstinate insistence, usually habitual

If you will keep your watch half an hour slow it is hardly surprising that you are late for your appointments.

2. in relative clauses after everything, anything, nothing, etc.

Everything that you say will be recorded.

3. in clauses of concession after whoever, whatever, etc.

You’ll do whatever I ask you to.

4. in object clauses after see, make sure, take care, necessary, important, etc.

See that the children behave well.

5. to refer to future events when the event is part of a fixed time-table, e.g. a travel time-table, a holiday itinerary, other organized events. The event or the timing of the event is fixed by some official body, organization or time-table

The flight leaves at 6 o’clock in the morning.

6. in statements about fixed dates

Tomorrow is Tuesday.

7. in some special questions

What do we do next?

Where do we go now?

2. The Present Continuous is used when you are talking about planned future actions.

What are you doing this evening?

The Present Continuous is usually more natural when you are talking about arrangements, especially if they are very definite arrangements in the near future. The Present Continuous is especially frequent with dynamic transitive verbs like arrive, come, drive, go, fly, land, leave, start, stop, etc. It is quite informal and is used to describe personal arrangements such as social activities rather than official plans. As it refers to personal arrangements, the subject of the verb should be a person or people and not a thing.

I’m meeting Charlotte for lunch tomorrow.

3. The ‘be going to’-future is used:

1. to express intention that the speaker had before the time of speaking

I’m going to visit Bob tomorrow.

2. to make a prediction based on present evidence

The sun’s going down. It’s going to be dark in half an hour.

3. to speak about planned future actions.

Contrast: ‘be going to’-future versus Present Continuous as future

1. When using ‘be going to’ we place more emphasis on the intention, and using Present Continuous we place more emphasis on the arrangements. We do not normally use the Present Continuous with activities that do not involve the making of arrangement or plan.

I’m going to write a letter tonight. (intention)

I’m writing a letter tonight. (no arrangement)

2. We do not use the Present Continuous to make a prediction based on present evidence.

3. We can only use the Present Continuous as future with a future time reference or where the future reference is clear from the context. Where this is not the case, we use the ‘be going to’-future.

He’s having a swim. (= now, no time reference)

He’s going to have a swim. (in the future)

4. Verbs not normally used in the continuous are not used in the Present Continuous as future. We can sometimes use such verbs in the continuous aspect with the ‘be going to’-future. This does not happen very often as these verbs do not describe events that we normally predict or intend. We can say:

I’m going to need help next week.

4. The Future Simple (Future with will) is used:

1. when you are announcing a decision you have just made or are about to make (when you decide to do something at the moment of speaking – intention based on an unpremeditated decision)

I’m tired. I think I’ll go to bed.

2. when you are making predictions about the future especially that are based on general beliefs, personal opinions or attitudes

I’m sure you’ll enjoy your visit to the zoo.

3. for future habitual actions which we assume will take place:

Spring will come again.

Birds will build nests.

The time of the realization of the action is indefinite or remote, or the realization is uncertain or doubtful.

We’ll meet again one day.

Life will teach her a lesson.

It’s usual to use will with these words and expressions:

probably	I’ll probably be a bit late this evening.
(I’m) sure	I’m sure you’ll like him.
(I) expect	I expect you’ll get a job.

1. think and other verbs and their equivalents expressing personal views or opinions.

4. in the principal clause of a complex sentence with a clause of time, condition or concession

We’ll catch the train if you hurry up.

5. to express a succession of actions in the future

I’ll prepare you a nice dinner and then we’ll leave you.

6. to express the idea of willingness

I’ll do it for you, I promise. (promise)

Will you open the window? (request)

I’ll look after the children for you. (offer)

Yes, I’ll come with you. (agreement)

I’ll definitely tell him the truth this time. (determination)

Stop that or I’ll call the police. (threat)

7. to express refusal to perform an action (especially with inanimate objects

I won’t eat this soup.

My child won’t drink boiled milk.

The car won’t start.

The use of ‘shall’

1. Will is kept for intention

I will wait for you (I intend to wait for you)

and shall is used when there is no intention, i.e. for actions where the subject’s wishes are not involved

I shall be twenty-five next week.

We shall know the results tomorrow. (It will be in the papers)

Shall used as above is found in formal English nowadays but is no longer common in conversation. Instead we normally use will.

I will be twenty-five next week.

We will know the results tomorrow.

Sometimes however will might change the meaning of the sentence. If in

I shall see Tom tomorrow

we replace shall by will we could have an expression of intention. To avoid misunderstanding of this kind we use the Future Continuous Tense:

I’ll be seeing Tom tomorrow.

2. In spoken English shall is most often used in the question form with I or we to make offers or suggestions or to ask for suggestions, advice, instructions

Shall I come with you?

What shall we do tomorrow?

3. Shall is occasionally used to express strong determination about oneself or someone else

I shall go anyway. I don’t care what you think.

You shall have whatever you want.

4. Shall for determination

Determination is normally expressed by will. But sometimes public speakers feel that to express determination they need a heavier word, a word not normally used much. And so they say shall.

We shall fight and we shall win. (in a speech)

Shall used in this way sometimes carries the idea of promise which we get in second person shall.

You shall have a sweet. (I promise you a sweet)