Unit 24: The future
Seven ways of talking about the future
Select a unit
- 1Go beyond intermediate with our new video course
- 2Reported speech in 90 seconds!
- 3If or whether?
- 45 ways to use 'would'
- 5Let and allow
- 6Passive voice
- 7Unless
- 8Mixed conditionals
- 9The zero article - in 90 seconds
- 10The indefinite article - in 90 seconds
- 11The. That's right - the! Learn all about it in 90 seconds
- 12The continuous passive
- 13Future perfect
- 14Need + verb-ing
- 15Have something done
- 16Wish
- 17Word stress
- 18Different ways of saying 'if'
- 19Passive reporting structures
- 20The subjunctive
- 21When and if
- 22Inversion
- 23Phrasal verbs
- 24The future
- 25Modals in the past
- 26Narrative tenses
- 27Phrasal verb myths
- 28Conditionals review
- 29Used to - review
- 30Linking words of contrast
መወከስ ስዋስው
Future revision
1. Will
OK, I'll be there.
Used for: decisions made at the moment of speaking, promises, voluntary offers, predictions
2. Present continuous
I'm meeting her tonight.
Used for: arrangements
3. Be going to
We're going to have a coffee together.
It's going to be a beautiful evening!
Used for: plans, predictions based on present, physical evidence
4. Future continuous
So, in an hour's time we'll be drinking coffee together!
Used for: activities which are in progress at a future time
5. Future perfect
By 5pm we'll have finished our drink.
Used for: actions completed before a specific future time.
6. Present simple
I'd better hurry, my bus leaves in 5 minutes.
Used for: timetabled future events
7. Be + to + infinitive
London buses are to strike this afternoon.
We can also use this structure without be: just to + infinitive:
London buses to strike this afternoon.
Used for: formal way of talking about the future on news headlines
