Future Simple

♦ in predictions about the future usually with the verbs think, believe, expect, etc., the expressions be sure, be afraid, etc., and the adverbs probably, perhaps, certainly, etc

I’m afraid we won’t be on time for the meeting.

♦ for on-the-spot decisions.

I’ll take this leg of lamb.

♦ for promises (usually with the verbs promise, swear, guarantee, etc.), threats, warnings, requests, hopes (usually with the verb hope) and offers.

I don’t understand this exercise. Will you help me with it? (request). Of course! I’ll explain it for you. (offer).

♦ for actions/events/situations which will definitely happen in the future and which we cannot control.

The temperature will reach 40 °C tomorrow.

The future simple and be going to are used with the following time expressions: tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, tonight, soon, next week/month/year, in a week/month/year, in two/three days/weeks, etc.

Future Continuous

♦ for an action which will be in progress at a stated future time.

This time next week we’ll be cruising round the islands.

♦ for an action which will definitely happen in the future as the result of a routine or arrangement.

Don’t call Julie. I’ll be seeing her later, so I’ll pass the message on.

♦ when we ask politely about someone's plans for the near future (what we want to know is if our wishes fit in with their plans.

Will you be using the photocopier for long? No. Why? I need to make some photocopies.

Future Perfect

for an action which will be finished before a stated future time.

She will have delivered all the newspapers by 8 o'clock.

With: before, by, by then, by the time, until/till.

Future Perfect Continuous

to emphasize the duration of an action up to a certain time in the future.

By the end of next month, she will have been teaching for 20 yrs.

With: by ... for.

Infinitive________________________________________________

Present Active (to) lose Passive (to) be lost

Pres. Cont. (to) be losing

Perfect Active (to) have lost Passive (to) have been lost

Perf. Cont. (to) have been losing

♦ Active

present infinitive Refers to the present or future

He expects to stay here for a week.

present cont. infinitive: (to) be + -ing Refers to an action happening now.

He seems to be working hard.

perfect infinitive: (to) have + past participle Refers to the past and shows that the action of the infinitive happened before the action of the verb.

He claims to have won a lot of money. (First he won the money, then he claimed that he had won it.)

perfect cont. infinitive: (to) have + been + -ing Refers to the past and emphasises the duration of the action of the infinitive, which happened before the action of the verb.

He's got a headache. He claims to have been working on the computer all morning. (We emphasise what he has been doing all morning.)

The perfect infinitive is used with verbs such as seem, appear, believe, know, claim, expect and modal verbs.

♦ Passive

present infinitive: (to) be + past participle

He hopes to be offered a promotion.

perfect infinitive: (to) have been + past participle

She is believed to have been kidnapped.

The to-infinitive:

♦ to express purpose

Sam went to the bank to get some money.

♦ after certain verbs (agree, appear, decide, expect, hope, plan, promise, refuse, etc.).

He promised to help us with the decorations.

♦ after adjectives which a) describe feelings/emotions (happy, glad, etc.), b) express willingness/ unwillingness (willing, eager, reluctant, anxious, unwilling, etc.), c) refer to a person's character (mean, clever, etc.) and also with the adjectives lucky and fortunate.

I was annoyed to hear that he had left. He is reluctant to help. You were clever not to believe them.

With adjectives which refer to character we can also use an impersonal construction. It + be + adjective + of + noun I pronoun. e.g. It was clever of you not to believe them.

♦ after certain nouns and pronouns such as something, somewhere, anyone, nothing, etc. usually to show that something is necessary or possible.

We've got a lot of homework to do. Take something to drink on the bus.

♦ after too/enough.

She is too young to stay out so late.

♦ with it + be + adjective I noun

It is important to get there on time.

It is her ambition to open her own shop.

♦ to talk about an unexpected event which can be unpleasant, usually with only.

She came home to find her sister waiting for her. They rushed to the airport (only) to be informed that the flight had been cancelled.

♦ after: be + the first/second, etc./next/last/best, etc.

He was the first to arrive.

♦ after verbs and expressions such as ask, learn, find out, wonder, want to know, decide, explain, etc. when they are followed by question words (who, what, where, how, etc.). 'Why' is followed by a subject + verb, not by an infinitive.

He explained how to operate the machine. I don't know why he left.

If two to -infinitives are joined with 'and' or 'or', the 'to' of the second infinitive can be omitted.

He agreed to come and help us.