Future Forms
There are a lot of ways to express future in English. How about learning some of them.
Future Simple
Formation of the Future Simple
We form this tense with the helping verb will and the infinitive form of a main verb.
She will help you.
She will not help you. or She won't help you.
Pay attention that the short form of will not is won't.
Will she help you?
Yes, she will. or No, she won't.
Usage
There are three main rules to use the Future Simple.
- We use it to make predictions about future
I think it will rain tomorrow.
This is only your opinion about future.
I am sure people will fly in cars one day.
We make a guess about our future.
- We want to express a spontaneous decision
- I don't understand this rule.
- I'll help you out.
When we heard that the person doesn't understand the rule, we made a decision to help him.
- Mom, I am so hungry.
- Oh, I'll make you a sandwich.
To make a sandwich is mum's spontaneous decision.
- We use the Future Simple to state facts
Don't drink more coffee – you won't sleep.
If you drink coffee, it is the fact that you won't sleep.
Tomorrow will be Monday. I hate Mondays.
This is the fact that tomorrow will be Monday.
To be going to
Formation of to be going to
We form it with the helping verb to be, going to and the infinitive form of a main verb.
He is going to study at university.
He isn't going to study at university.
Is he going to study at university?
Yes, he is. or No, he isn't
Remember, that we change to be according to the subject of the sentence.
I am going to
he/she/it is going to
we/you/they are going to
Usage
- We use to be going to to express plans or intentions.
We are going to visit Italy in September.
This is our plan for the fall.
He is going to become a doctor.
This is his intention, his ambition.
Now let's look at the Future Simple and the construction to be going to in comparison.
- There is a party at my place tonight. Do you want to come?
- Thanks for invitation, I'll come but a bit later.
This is a decision made at the moment of speaking. We made it spontaneously.
- There is a party at my place tonight, you remember?
- Of course, you told me about it thousand times, I am going to come at 9 pm.
This decision was made before the moment of speaking, this is our plan for the evening.
One more example.
- There isn't any milk left and I wanted to drink some tea with milk.
- Don't worry, I'll call Suzy and ask her to buy some.
This is a spontaneous decision.
- There isn't any milk left in the fridge.
- I know. I am going to call Suzy and ask her to buy some.
This decision was made earlier so it is our intention.
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