4 Ways To Talk About The Future In English: Improve Your Grammar & Fluency

Hello learners! We’re back with another guide on tenses, and this time it’s the future. Before we dive into today’s topic, I’ve got a quick question for you.

What are you doing this weekend?

Stop scrolling and think of your answer and phrase it in English. Chances are that the answer you have in your mind includes the word “will. ”

For example, is your answer something along the lines of,

• I will visit the beach this weekend.
• I will go shopping on Sunday.
• I will watch a movie on Saturday.

The will + verb construction helps you talk about the future. While your sentence is grammatically correct, there is one huge problem – native speakers don’t really talk like that in their daily conversations.

In this post, we discuss four different ways to talk about the future – without using awkward constructions using will. By the time, you finish reading this post, you would be a step forward in your journey to speak English fluently. That’s not it. In this post, we won’t just focus on grammar rules. Instead, we’ll discuss real-life future situations and explain how you can talk about them using future tense.

How To Talk About The Future?

1: Discussing Scheduled Events

Think about your answers for the following questions:

• What time does the bus arrive?
• When do you leave work on Friday?
• When does the party begin?

Generally, we use simple present tense to discuss future scheduled events. These are events that are already planned, and you cannot change the schedule. They are bound to happen.

• The next bus arrives in fifteen minutes.
• I leave work at 4.00 pm on Friday.
• Mary’s party starts at 10.00 pm on Saturday night.

Notice, how in each of these examples, even though we’re discussing a future event, we do not use “will. ” Instead, we use the simple present tense to discuss scheduled events in the future.

2: Discussing Plans and Arrangements

Next, think about these questions:

• Where are you going for the summer holidays?
• How do you plan to spend this weekend?
• Where are you meeting the client for lunch tomorrow?
• Are you celebrating Christmas holidays at home this year?

These questions focus on your plans for a future date. You might have made plans for these events ahead of time. For example, you might have purchased tickets to visit your home during the holidays. When discussing plans and arrangements, we generally use the present continuous tense. This includes using “going to + verb “ .

Remember that the present continuous tense also works for things that you’re doing right now. Let’s look at a few examples to understand this difference:

• What are you doing? (Question that focuses on your current actions)
• I’m working on the presentation for the client meeting.

Now, let’s look at a question that focuses on the future:

• What are you doing tomorrow? (Question that focuses on a planned future event)
• I’m meeting the client for lunch to discuss the contract.

Here are a few more examples where you use the present continuous tense to talk about future plans:

• We’re having dinner with a few friends on Saturday night. What about you?
• We’re going home for the Christmas holidays. I just booked the flight tickets and I’m so excited!
• I’m meeting Sue for lunch tomorrow. Do you want to join?

3: Predictions and Intentions with Evidence

Previously, we discussed plans for the future. With a plan, you usually make arrangements and are sure that it’ll happen. An intention is when you want to do something but haven’t made any arrangements yet.

Here are a few examples:

• I’m going to start exercising on Monday. I want to get in shape before the holidays.
• He’s going on a solo bike ride from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, after he finishes college this summer.
• When are you going to meet Susan?
• What are you going to order? (At a restaurant)

Do you notice that when discussing an intention, we use “going to + infinitive” verb form. You use the same form when you make a prediction using evidence. Here are a few examples:

• It’s getting dark. I think it’s going to rain shortly. (Here you predict the rain based on the evidence of heavy rain clouds gathering in the sky).
• If you continue at this rate, you’re going to flunk your final exams. (You make this prediction based on the academic performance of your friend)

English fluency tip: Native speakers often connect the words “going + to. ” So, when they say these words, it sounds like “gonna. ”

4: Factual Statements, Predictions Without Evidence and Immediate Decisions

Read these questions and consider how you’ll answer them:

• What will happen if you don’t complete your homework?
• What do you think life will be like in 50 years?
• Will you be able to come to my birthday party next week?

It’s finally time to talk about the future using “will. ” When you predict something based on how you feel, think, or believe, you use the structure, “will + verb. ” Here are a few examples:

• If I don’t finish my homework, the teacher will surely fail me.
• I think in 50 years, we’ll live in futuristic cities controlled by AI.
• I’ll come to your party next week, if we wrap up the client project by then. We’re working on a tight schedule.

You can also use “will” to talk about factual future statements.

• The sun will rise tomorrow. So, don’t worry about your bad day today.

Similarly, you use “will” for immediate decisions. Here are a few examples:

• The doorbell’s ringing. I’ll get it!

It’s Time To Practice

The best way to improve your English is to practice and practice. Enroll in our online classes for fluent English to be a part of our learner’s group and improve your conversational skills. Gain the confidence to speak English fluently in professional and personal situations.

I’d love to be a part of your English learning journey and help you practice using these forms naturally and correctly. To get started, think of the best ways to answer these questions using the rules you learnt in this post:

• Where are you going for your next vacation?
• How are you going to celebrate your new job?
• What do you think life will be like in the next ten years?

Go through the post again to help you frame the answers to these questions. You can share your answers with me on my social network pages. I look forward to helping you improve your English fluency!

Keep learning!