Contrast: ‘be going to’ versus ‘will’

1. Intention: both can be used to express an intention about the future.

1. be going to: the intention is premeditated. The decision was made before the time of speaking or writing and plans have probably already been made.

• You know it’s Emily’s birthday on Friday, don’t you?

• Yes, I’m going to buy her a present this afternoon.

2. will: the intention is unpremeditated. The decision is made at the time of speaking or writing.

• You know it’s Emily’s birthday on Friday, don’t you?

• Actually, I have forgotten. Thanks for reminding me. I’ll buy her a present this afternoon.

2. Prediction: both can be used to make predictions about the future.

1. be going to: the prediction is based on some form of evidence that exists in the present. It is often used to predict what is about to happen, but it can be used to predict something that is not in the immediate future.

Oh, look! The car is going to crash.

That child eats too much. He’s going to be really overweight one day.

2. will: to express beliefs, hopes, thoughts, assumptions and doubts about the future.

I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself there.

3. Statement of future fact: both can be used to make statements about the future but the emphasis is slightly different.

The number of students will fall over the next five years. (a statement of future fact or the speaker’s belief)

The number of students is going to fall. (emphasizes that the speaker is thinking of present trends)

4. Willingness: will is often used to express willingness, be going to is never used to express this meaning.

5. The Future Continuous is used:

1. to say that we will be in the middle of doing something at a certain time in the future

At ten o’clock tomorrow he’ll be working.

This time next week I’ll be lying on the beach.

2. to express the future without intention. It implies that the action will occur in the ordinary course of events, with no deliberate intention or effort. It’s the main application of the Future Continuous in modern English.

I’ll be seeing him at the club tomorrow – he’s usually there when I’m there.

3. in questions of politeness to avoid any idea of wanting, requesting, promising

Will you be going there? – Yes, I’ll be going there.

We often use the Future Continuous to ask about people’s plans especially when we want something or want someone to do something. It conveys greater tact and consideration.

Will you be using your bicycle this evening?

4. if you are sure that something will happen because arrangements have been made

I’ll be waiting for you outside.

5. to describe what we assume someone else is doing at this moment

Don’t phone her now. It’s 4 o’clock and she’ll be collecting the children from school.

Contrast: Future Continuous versus Future Simple

Future Simple: intention, promise, belief, hope, assumption and willingness.

Future Continuous: future activity or event but does not express intention or willingness.

6. Future Perfect Simple and Continuous

We normally use these tenses to talk about the past from the point in the future. It is the equivalent of the Present Perfect with the reference point in the future. The Present Perfect looks back from now; the Future Perfect looks back from the future.

1. We use the Future Perfect Simple to say that at a certain time in the future something will be completed and be in the past. It is often used with by + time reference, meaning ‘at some point before the time mentioned or indicated’.

It’s taking her so long to write that book that by the time she’s finished it people will have forgotten the incident it’s based on.

2. We use the Future Perfect Simple and Continuous with for to talk about the duration of an activity or state up to a time in the future.

We’ll have lived here for two years in January.

She’ll have been working here for ten years soon.

3. We use the Future Perfect Continuous to describe an activity leading up to a time in the future.

They might be tired when you see them because they’ll have been working hard.

4. We can also use the Future Perfect with what we think has probably happened.

There’s no point phoning: they’ll have gone out.