Future Time

:Simple Future
Will and be going to
Exercise 2, p. 60

Correct the errors.

1. Marie will cooks some chicken and rice
for dinner tonight.
2. Where you will be tomorrow morning?

1. Marie will cook some chicken and rice for dinner tonight. 2. Where will you be tomorrow morning?
Exercise 2, p. 60

3. I no will ride the bus to work tomorrow.

4. Marco will probably to call us this
evening.
5. I going to look for a new apartment.

3. I won’t / will not ride the bus to work tomorrow. 4. Marco will probably call us this evening.
5. I am going to look for a new apartment.
Simple Future: Will and Be Going To

Ali will finish his work tomorrow.

Ali is going to finish his work
.tomorrow
Will and be going to express
future time and often have
essentially the same meaning.
Will
 Will typically expresses
.predictions about the future
.Will does not take a final -s
Will is followed immediately by
.the simple form of a verb
 Ali will not be here
tomorrow.
Fatima won’t be here either.
negative: will + not= won’t
 Will you be here tomorrow?
QUESTION: will + subject + main
verb
How will you get here?
The speaker is asking for
information about a future event.
Will you open the door for
me, please?
Will can also be used in
questions to make polite
requests.
 Spoken or written: I’ll be
there.
Will is often contracted with
pronouns in both speaking
and informal writing: I’ll,
you’ll, she’ll, he’ll, it'll, we'll,
they'll.
 Spoken: Tom’ll be there too.
Written: Tom will be there too.
Will is also often contracted
with nouns in speaking but
usually not in writing
Spoken or very informal writing:
Nobody’ll notice. That’ll be fun.
There’ll be a test tomorrow.
In very informal writing, will may
be contracted with other kinds of
pronouns and there.
 Be Going To
Anna is going to come tomorrow around 5:00.
Informally spoken: Anna’s gonna come
tomorrow around 5:00.
Be going to also commonly expresses
predictions about the future. In informal
speech, going to is often pronounced
“gonna."
 Ali isn’t going to come.
negative: be + not + going to.
Are you going to come?
question: be+ subject + going to.
Exercise 8, p.63

Read the sentences and answer the questions.

a. It’s going to rain tomorrow.
b. I’m going to paint the house next week.
c. Here. I’ll help you carry that box. It looks heavy.
d. It will be cloudy this weekend.
1. Which sentence expresses a prior plan? ____
2. Which sentences are predictions? ___ _ and
3. Which sentence expresses willingness? ____

1. b 2. a . . . d 3. c
Will vs. Be Going To
 Prediction
According to the weather
report, it will be cloudy
tomorrow.
According to the weather
report, it is going to be
cloudy tomorrow.
(The two sentences have the same meaning)
Will and be going to mean the
same when they make
predictions about the future
(prediction = a statement
about something the speaker
thinks will be true or will occur
in the future).
 Prior Plan
— Why did you buy this paint?
—1’m going to paint my bedroom tomorrow.
Be going to (but not will) is used to express a
prior plan (i.e., a plan made before the
moment of speaking).
(The speaker already has a plan to paint his/her bedroom).
Willingness
__The phone’s ringing.
— I’ll get it.
The speaker decides to answer
the phone at the immediate
present moment; she/he does
not have a prior plan.
— How old is Aunt Fatima?
— 1 don’t know. She won’t
tell me.
Will not / won’t can express
refusal with a person.
The car won't start. Maybe
the battery is dead.
Will not / won’t can
express refusal with an
inanimate object also
Will (but not be going to) is used
to express willingness.
In this case, will expresses a
decision the speaker makes at
the moment of speaking.
Exercise 9, p.64
Discuss the italicized verbs in these short conversations. Decide if the speakers are expressing
(a) predictions,
(b) decisions they are making at the moment of speaking (willingness), or
(c) plans they made before the moment of speaking.
1. A: Are you busy Saturday night? I’ve got front-row seats for the
baseball game.
B: Oh, I wish I could, but I can’t. I’m going to be at my niece’s wedding
on Saturday.
2. A: Masako’s such a creative artist. And she’s so patient with children.
B: She’ll be very successful as an elementary art teacher.

1. c 2. a
Exercise 9, p.64
3. A: We’re going to go out to dinner in a
few minutes. Do you want to join us?
B: Sure. Give me just a minute. I’ll grab
my coat.
4. A: I heard Sue and David are engaged for
the third time!
B: They won’t ever get married. They fight
too much.
4. a 3. A: c B: b
Exercise 9, p.64
5. A: How do you spell “accustomed”?
B: I’m not sure. I’ll look it up for you.
6. A: That’s great news about your new job.
B: Well, actually, I’ve changed my mind
about it. I’m not going to take it after all. I’ve
decided to stay with my old job.

5. b 6. c
Exercise 10, p.64
Decide if each italicized verb expresses a prediction, a prior

1 . Dinner’s almost ready. I’ll set the table.

2. Ivan has some vacation time. He is going to
take next week off.
3. Heidi will love her birthday present. It’s just
what she wants.
4. I don’t like my job. I ’m going to quit when I
get back from vacation.

1. willingness 2. plan 3. prediction 4. plan

Exercise 10, p.64
5. That’s okay. Don’t worry about the
spilled coffee. I’ll clean it up.
6. Someday, there are going to be
computers in every classroom in the world.
7. The light bulb is burned out. I’ll get a
new one from the supply room.
8. I’m going to the bookstore. Do you want
to go with me?
5. willingness 6. prediction 7. willingness 8. plan
Exercise 11, p.65
Complete the sentences with be going to if you think the speaker is expressing a prior plan. If
you think she/he has no prior plan, use will. Use won’t if the speaker is expressing refusal.

3. A: Who wants to erase the board?

Are there any volunteers?
B: I (do) ___ it!
C: I (do) ___ it!
4. A: Why does he have an eraser in his eraser?
B: He (erase)___________the black board.

3. B: ’11 do C: ’11 do 4. ’s going to erase

Exercise 11, p.65
5. A: How about getting together for dinner tonight?
B: Sounds good. Where?
A: How about Alice’s Restaurant or the Gateway Cafe? You decide.
B: Alice’s Restaurant. I (meet) _____ you there around six.
A: Great. I (see) _____ you then.
B: It’s a date.
6. A: Do you have plans for dinner?
B: Yes. I (meet*) _____ a co-worker for dinner at Alice’s
Restaurant. Want to join us?

6. ’m going to meet 5. B: ’11 meet A: ’11 see

Exercise 11, p.65
7. A: Why is that little boy crying?
B: I don’t know. He (tell, not) ________me. I
wonder where his parents are.
8. A: What’s wrong?
B: The door (open, not) ________.
A: Well, of course not. It’s locked.

7. won’t tell 8. won’t open

Exercise 13, p.66

Complete the sentences with your own words. All the sentences talk about future time. What do you
notice about the verbs in blue?

1. After I leave this class, I’m going to ____

2. As soon as I get home tonight, I’ll ____
3. When I finish my English studies, I’m
going to ______
Expressing the Future in Time Clauses
Bob will come soon. When Ali comes,
we will see him.
When Ali comes is a time clause.
when + subject + verb = a time clause
When the meaning of the time clause
is future, the simple present tense is
used. Will or be going to is not used in
the time clause.
Linda is going to leave soon. Before she
leaves, she is going to finish her work.
1 will get home at 5:30. After 1 get home, 1
will eat dinner.
The taxi will arrive soon. As soon as it
arrives, we’ll be able to leave for the airport.
They are going to come soon. I'll wait here
until they come.
 A time clause begins
with such words as
when, before, after, as
soon as, until, and while
and includes a subject
and a verb.
 The time clause can come either at the
beginning of the sentence or in the
second part of the sentence:
When he comes, we'll see him. or
We’ll see him when he comes.
Notice: A comma is used when the time
clause comes first in a sentence.
While 1 am traveling in Europe next
year, I’m going to save money by
staying in youth hostels.
Sometimes the present progressive is
used in a time clause to express an
activity that will be in progress in
the future.
a)1 will go to bed after 1 finish my work.
b)1 will go to bed after 1 have finished my
work.
Occasionally, the present perfect is used in
a time clause, as in (b). (a) and (b) have
the same meaning. The present perfect in
the time clause emphasizes the
completion of one act before a second act
occurs in the future.
Exercise 14, p.67.
Draw brackets around the time clause in each sentence and underline its verb.
Identify and discuss the use of verb tenses.

2. After the rain stops, I’m going to

sweep the front porch.
3. I’m going to start making dinner
before my wife gets home from work
today.
2. [After the rain stops,] I’m going to sweep the front porch.
3. I’m going to start making dinner [before my wife gets home from work today.]
.Exercise 14, p. 67

4. I’m going to wait right here until

Sonya comes.
5. As soon as the war is over, there
will be new elections.
4. I’m going to wait right here [until Sonya comes.]
5. [As soon as the war is over,] there will be new elections.
.Exercise 14, p. 67

6. Right now the tide is low, but when

the tide comes in, the ship will leave
the harbor.
7. While I ’m driving to work
tomorrow, I ’m going to listen to my
Greek language CD.
6. Right now the tide is low, but [when the tide comes in,] the ship will leave the harbor.
7. [While I’m driving to work tomorrow,] I’m going to listen to my Greek language CD.
. Exercise 15 , p. 67
Use will/be going to or the simple present. (In this exercise, both will and be going to are possible when a future verb
is necessary, with little or no difference in meaning.)

2. I’m going to eat lunch at 12:30. After I (eat) ___ , I

(take, probably) __ a nap.
3. I ’ll get home around six. When I (get) ___ home, I
(give) ___ Sharon a call.
4. I’m going to watch a TV program at nine, but before I
(watch) ____ the program, I (call) ____ my parents.
5. Bakir will come soon. I (wait) ___ here until he
(come)____.
2. eat . . . will probably take / am probably going to take
3 . get . . . will give / am going to give
4. watch . . . will call / am going to call
5. will wait / am going to w a it. . . comes
. Exercise 15 , p. 67

6. I ’m sure it will stop raining soon. As soon as the rain

(stop) ____,I (walk) ___to the store to get some film.
7. I’m a junior in college this year. After I (graduate)
_____ next year, I (intend) _____ to enter graduate school
and work for an M.A. Perhaps I (go) ____ on for a Ph.D.
after
I (get) _____ my master’s degree with a B.A.
8. I (listen) ____to an English language course while I
(sleep) ___ tonight. Do you think it will help me learn
English faster?
6. stops . . . will walk / am going to walk
7. graduate . . . intend . . . will go / am going to go. . . get
8. will listen / am going to listen . . . am sleeping
Exercise 17. Warm-up. P. 68

Decide if each sentence has a present or future meaning. What do you notice about the verb
tense in each sentence?

1. I ’m meeting a friend for dinner tonight.

2. We’re taking a flight at midnight.
3. Class starts in ten minutes.

All the sentences have a future meaning.

Using the Present Progressive
and the Simple Present
to Express
Future Time
 Present Progressive
(a) My wife has an appointment with a doctor.
She is seeing Dr. North next Tuesday.
(b) Sami has already made his plans. He is
leaving at noon tomorrow.
(c) — What are you going to do this afternoon?
— After lunch, 1 am meeting a friend of mine.
We are going shopping. Would you like to
come along?
The present progressive may
be used to express future time
when the idea of the sentence
concerns a planned event or
definite intention.
compare: A verb such as rain is not
used in the present progressive to
indicate future time because rain is
not a planned event.
A future meaning for the present
progressive tense is indicated either by
future time words in the sentence or by
the context.
Simple Present
The museum opens at 10:00
tomorrow morning.
Classes begin next week.
John's plane arrives at 6:05
p.m. next Monday.
The simple present can also be used to
express future time in a sentence
concerning events that are on a
definite schedule or timetable. These
sentences usually contain future time
words. Only a few verbs are used in
this way: e.g., open, close, begin, end,
start, finish, arrive, leave, come, return.
. Exercise 18 , p. 69
Decide the meaning of each italicized verb. Write in the future , now , or habitually.

4. I’ll mail this letter at the corner when I take

Susan home. _____
5. My brother’s birthday is next week. I am giving
him a sweater. _____
6. Shhh. The broadcaster is giving the latest news
about the crisis overseas. I want to hear what she’s
saying. ___
7. When I graduate, I’m going to return home. ___
4. in the future 5. in the future 6. now 7. in the future
. Exercise 18 , p. 69

8. When students graduate, they receive

diplomas. ___
9. I’m tired. I am going to bed early tonight._
10. When I am in New York, I’m going to
visit the Museum of Modern Art. ___
11. When I am home alone in the evening, I
like to read or watch television. ____

8. habitually 9. in the future 10. in the future 11. habitually

. Exercise 18 , p. 69

12. A: Are you busy?

B: Not really.
A: What are you doing?
B: I ’m writing a letter to my folks.
A: When you finish your letter, do you want to play a
game of chess?
13. A: What are you doing after work today?
B: I’m playing tennis with Brown at the health club.
And you?
A: I’m meeting Smith for a round of golf
12. A: now B: now A: in the future 13. A: in the future B: in the future
.Exercise 19, p. 70
Complete each sentence with any present progressive verb.

2. A: Why are you in such a hurry?

B: I have to be at the airport in an hour. I _______the
four o’clock plane to New York. I have an important
meeting there tomorrow.
3. A: I see you’re smoking. I thought you stopped last
month.
B: I did. I don’t know why I started again. I _____
tomorrow, and this time I mean it.

2. am taking / am catching 3. am stopping / am quitting

.Exercise 19, p. 70
4. A: Your cough sounds terrible! You should see a doctor.
B: I know. It just won’t go away. I ____
Dr. Murray later this afternoon.
5. A: Where are you and your family going for your vacation this
summer?
B: Ontario, Canada.
A: Are you planning to fly?
B: No, we _____ so we can take our time and enjoy the scenery.
A: That sounds wonderful.

4. am seeing 5. are driving

.Exercise 21, p. 71

Notice the verbs in blue. What do they have in common?

1. Right now, I’m sitting in class.
2. Yesterday at this time, I was sitting in
class.
3. Tomorrow at this time, I will be sitting in
class.
All the verbs take a progressive form (present, past, future).
Future Progressive
1 will begin to study at seven.
You will come at eight. 1 will be
studying when you come.
The future progressive expresses
an activity that will be in
progress at a time in the future.
Don’t call me at nine because 1
won’t be home. 1 am going to be
studying at the library.
The progressive form of be going
to:
be going to + be + -ing
Don’t worry. She will be coming soon.
Don’t worry. She will come soon.
Sometimes there is little or no
difference between the future
progressive and the simple future,
especially when the future event will
occur at an indefinite time in the
future.
.Exercise 22, p. 72
Complete the sentences. Use the future progressive form of the given verbs.

1 . finish, sleep, study

Please don’t call our house after 9:00 tonight. The baby ______.
My husband ____for a test. I ____ a project for work.
2 . talk, do, see
Dr. Roberts is the town’s only medical doctor and works long hours.
Tomorrow she has an especially busy schedule. From early in the
morning until lunch, she _____ patients at her clinic. After lunch, she
______ research at the hospital. In the evening, she ______to medical
students about rural health care.
1. is going to be studying / will be studying . . . am going to be finishing / will be finishing
2. is going to be seeing / will be seeing . . . is going to be doing / will be doing . . . is going to be talking /
will be talking
.Exercise 23, p. 72
Complete the sentences. Use the future progressive or the simple present form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. Tomorrow I’m going to leave for home. When I

(arrive) ___at the
airport, my whole family (wait) ___ for me.
2. When I (get) ____ tomorrow morning, the sun
(shine) ____, the birds (sing) ____, and my
roommate (lie, still) ____in bed fast asleep.
1. arrive . . . is going to be waiting / will be waiting
2. get. . . is going to be shining / will be shining . . . are going to be singing / will be singing . . . is still going to be
lying / will still be lying
.Exercise 23, p. 72

3. A: When do you leave for Florida?

B: Tomorrow. Just think! Two days from now I (enjoy) __my
vacation in the sun.
A: Sounds great! I (think) ________ about you.
4. A: Are you going to be in town next Saturday?
B: No. I (visit, in Chicago) ____my aunt.
5. A: Where are you going to be this evening?
B: I (work, at the library) ____ on my research paper

3. B: am going to be enjoying / will be enjoying A: am going to be thinking / will be thinking

4. will be / am going to be in Chicago visiting 5. will be / am going to be working
Exercise 24. Warm-up. P. 73
Notice the verbs in blue. What do they have in common?

1 . Eric isn’t here. He has left.

2. Eric wasn’t there. He had left by the
time we got there.
3. Eric won’t be there. He will have
left by the time we get there.

All the verbs are in a form of the perfect.

Future Perfect

1 will graduate in June. 1 will see

you in July. By the time 1 see you, 1
will have graduated.
The future perfect expresses an
activity that will be completed before
another time or event in the future .
Future Perfect Progressive
I will go to bed at 10:00 p.m.
Hind will get home at midnight.
At midnight
I will be sleeping. I will have
been sleeping for two hours by
the time Hind gets home.
The future perfect progressive
emphasizes the duration of an
activity that will be in progress
before another time or event
in the future .
When Professor Jones retires
next month, he will have
taught or will have been
teaching for 45 years.
Sometimes the future perfect and
the future perfect progressive have
the same meaning. The activity
expressed by either of these two
tenses may begin in the past.
.Exercise 25, p. 73
Complete the sentences. Use any appropriate tense of the verbs in parentheses.

1. Ann and Andy got married on June 1st.

Today is June 15th They (be)___married for two weeks.
By June 8th, they (be)___ married for one week.
By June 29th, they (be)___ married for four weeks.
2. This traffic is terrible. We’re going to be late. By the
time we (get) ____to the airport, Yuri’s plane (arrive,
already) ____, and he’ll be wondering where we are.

. have been . . . had been . . . will have been 2. get. . . will have already arrived . . . will already have arrived
.Exercise 25, p. 73

3. The traffic was very heavy. By the time we

(get) _____ to the airport, Yuri’s plane (arrive,
already) ____ .
4. This morning I came to class at 9:00. Right now
it is 10:00, and I am still in class. I (sit) _____ at
this desk for an hour. By 9 :3 0 ,1 (sit)_____ here
for half an hour. By 11:00,1 (sit) ____here for two
hours.

3. got. . . had already arrived 4. have been sitting . . . had been sitting . . . will have been sitting
.Exercise 25, p. 73

5. Classes start at 9:00 every day. It’s 9:30 and the

school bus is late. When the bus gets to school,
classes (begin) ____ . The teachers (teach) ____
since 9:00.
6. I’m getting tired of sitting in the car. Do you
realize that by the time we arrive in Phoenix, we
(drive) ____for twenty straight hours?
7. Go ahead and leave on your vacation. Don’t
worry about this work. By the time you (get) ____
back, we (take) _____ care of everything.
5. will have begun . . . will have been teaching 6. will have been driving 7. get / will have taken
.Exercise 25, p. 73

8. I don’t understand how those marathon runners

do it! The race began more than an hour ago. By
the time they reach the finish line, they (run)
_____ steadily for more than two hours. I don’t
think I can run more than two minutes!
9. We have been married for a long time. By our
next anniversary, we (be) ______ married for 43
years.

8. will have been running 9. will have been