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Express Yourself: Talk about the future

use present continuous, might, and be going to to talk about future plans, intentions, and possibilities

Express Yourself: Talk about the future

Expand your English and talk about the future with more than just “will! You can use the ‘present continuous,’ the modal verb ‘might’, and ‘be going to’ to express different functions in the future. 


Function 

Tense 

Future Plans & Arrangements 

Present Continuous 

to be + verb-ing

Future Intentions 

to be going to 

to be going to + verb 

Future Possibility 

Might 

might + verb 


FUTURE PLANS & ARRANGEMENTS 


We can use the present continuous to talk about plans that are already arranged or decided. These are usually events happening in the near future.


Examples


  1. I’m meeting my friends tomorrow.  ⇨ I have made plans to meet my friends tomorrow. 

  2. She’s having dinner with her family tonight.  ⇨ She has plans to have dinner with her family tonight. 

  3. We’re flying to Paris next weekend.   ⇨ We have booked tickets and have plans to fly to Paris. 

  4. They’re starting their new jobs next Monday.  ⇨ They have arranged and made plans to start new jobs next Monday. 

  5. I’m playing tennis with Tom this afternoon.  ⇨ I have plans to play tennis with Tom this afternoon. 



 


FUTURE POSSIBILITIES


We use the modal verb  "might" to talk about something that could happen in the future, but we’re not sure yet; it is something that is possible. 


  1. I might go to the party this weekend. ⇨ It is possible that I will go to the party, but I don’t know yet. 

  2. He might come to the meeting later. ⇨ It is possible that he will come to the meeting, we don’t know yet. 

  3. We might visit the new museum this month. ⇨ It is possible that we will visit the museum this month, but we don’t know yet. 

  4. She might travel to Spain for work next year. ⇨ It is possible that she will travel to Spain for work, but she’s not sure. 

  5. They might cancel the event because of the weather. ⇨ It is possible that the event will be canceled because of the weather, but we don’t know yet. 




 


FUTURE INTENTIONS 


We use "be going to" to talk about things we want to do but maybe haven't made plans for yet; things we intend to do. 


  1. I’m going to start a new hobby soon. ⇨ I want to start a new hobby in near future.

  2. They’re going to move to a new apartment next year. ⇨ They want to move to a new apartment in the near future, and will maybe make plans for that. 

  3. We’re going to buy a car this month. ⇨ We want to buy a car this month and will probably make plans to do this. 


  1. She’s going to take an English exam next year. ⇨ She is intending on taking an exam next year and will probably make plans soon to do this. 





 

Practice

Are you comfortable with the different ways to talk about the future? 

Use these exercises to practice your skills!




More exercises here


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