Of all the many tenses in English, the future is perhaps the most poorly taught (although the present perfect is a strong contender for that non-honor as well). In fact, the way it is generally presented is not just overly confusing but also has very little relationship to how people actually speak. I’ve been looking around the web, and I really haven’t found a single solid explanation. So if you’ve been experiencing some confusion about how native English speakers refer to future events in everyday, informal speech, this guide is for you.
To be clear, I do not cover every possible usage here; rather, the goal is for you to understand the most common, real-life uses of these constructions, as opposed to what the average textbook says.
There are three main constructions that can express the future:
- Will + verb (base form), e.g., will go, will do
- Going to + verb, e.g., going to go, going to do
- Conjugated to be + verb-ing (present continuous), e.g., am going, are doing
To decide which form(s) can be used, you need to answer one simple question:
- Is the future action being decided on at the moment? (generally will + verb)
OR:
- Is the future action already planned? (generally going to + verb or verb-ing)
I. At the moment
When a future action is decided on right at the moment of speech, use will + verb.
Remember that in informal speech, Anglophones automatically contract will with the subject pronoun (e.g., I will = I’ll). If you use the full verb, your speech will likely sound stiff and unnatural, so you should practice saying the following constructions until you can use them automatically in conversation.
- I’ll
- You’ll
- He’ll, She’ll
- It’ll
- We’ll
- They’ll
And in negative form will not is contracted into won’t.
Now, some examples.
Example #1
Person A: We’re out of milk.
Person B: I’ll go to the supermarket after work and get some. (The person is making the decision right then to get milk.)
Avoid: I will go to the supermarket after work and get some.
Example #2
Person A: The mechanic didn’t do a very good job of fixing the car. The engine is still making strange noises.
Person B: Well, we won’t go back to him again. We’ll find another repair shop. (The person is deciding right then to find a different mechanic.)
Avoid: Well, we will not go back to him again. We will find another repair shop.
Note that you cannot substitute the simple present for the present continuous in this type of situation. This is a common error, especially among speakers of Romance languages (French, Italian, etc.) in which the simple present is acceptable.
Native English speakers may pronounce the contraction between the pronoun and will so quickly that it sounds like they are using the simple present (I help rather than I’ll help), but they will never actually leave out the “L” sound.
Example #3
Incorrect:
Person A: This table is pretty heavy. I’m having trouble moving it.
Person B: Wait a minute, I help you.
Correct:
Person A: This table is pretty heavy. I’m having trouble moving it.
Person B: Wait a minute, I’ll help you.
Avoid: Wait a minute, I will help you.
Now, there are times when will is not contracted, namely when someone wants to emphasize that an action will truly be performed (because the person they are speaking to believes that it won’t).
Example #4
Kid: I’ll clean my room this weekend.
Parent: You told me that last weekend, and it’s still a mess.
Kid: But I will do it this time, I promise.
Tip: Don’t use “shall” instead of “will” (especially in the U.S.) because it is formal and old-fashioned. The only context in which this verb is commonly used (in both North America and the UK) is in question form, typically “Shall we go?”
II. Already planned
When referring to a future action that someone already has the intention or plan to perform, then there are two main options. These two forms have essentially the same meaning and are generally both correct, but they have slightly different emphases.
1. Going to + verb emphasizes that the action will take place in the future.
2. Verb + -ing emphasizes that the action will continue for some period of time in the future.
Example #1
Person A: Do you have any plans for this weekend?
Person B: I’m going to go / I’m going to Philadelphia to visit my grandparents. I haven’t seen them in a couple of months. (= I already have plans to go to Philadelphia)
Avoid: I will go to Philadelphia to visit my grandparents.
Example #2
Person A: Is your sister living at home with your parents?
Person B: Yeah, she’s still there now, but she’s going to move in / moving in with some friends from work next month. (= She already has plans to move in with friends)
As a fancier alternative, you can also use a progressive form to indicate that a future action will occur over an extended period of time.
Person A: Is your sister living at home with your parents?
Person B: Yeah, she’s still there now, but she’s going to be moving in with some friends from work next month.
BUT:
Avoid: She will move in with some friends from work next month.
In everyday speech, going to is often contracted into gonna. In addition, the short “o” sound is softened to a schwa, with the word being pronounced more like gunna.
Make sure, however, to always include the relevant form of to be. For example, do not say (and absolutely do not write!) I gonna rather than I’m gonna. The “M” sound in the contraction may be said so quickly that you have trouble hearing it, but a native speaker will never omit it.
There are also two additional options to indicate planned future events, although these are used less frequently.
3. Simple present
4. Will + verb
The simple present is used only when a person wants to emphasize that a future plan is definite, and it is almost always used with a specific time or time period.
Example #3
Person A: I know that you’re going to visit your parents in July. And then are you coming home in August?
Person B: Yes, I’m home for the first couple of weeks, and but then I’m going to see my sister around the 15th.
The use of will + verb to indicate a future planned action is a bit less straightforward, and it is also less common than many English learners are led to believe.
In general, this tense is used when discussing events that are relatively far in the future (e.g., next summer, next year). It is also commonly used after another future construction, to distinguish between the two actions and emphasize sequence.
Example #4
Person A: You’re going away with your family over the summer, right?
Person B: Right. We’re with my parents at their place in the country for July, and then we’ll go (or: we’ll be going) to the beach with my sister and her kids in August.
III. Questions
For questions involving the future, the same “right now vs. already planned” distinction applies.
When you are asking a person to decide right at the moment, use will + verb. Do not use any other tense.
Example #1
Person A: Do you want to go back to Portugal next year?
Person B: I’d really like to, but I don’t want to go by myself. Will you come with me?
When you are asking about an action that has already been decided, or that a person has already thought about, you can use:
- Will + verb
- Going to + verb
- Verb + -ing
Example #2
Person A: I had a great time in Portugal last summer!
Person B: Will you go back again next year?
OR:
Person B: Are you going to go back again next year?
OR:
Person B: Are you going back again next year?
But you cannot say:
Incorrect: Do you go back again next year?
IV. Predictions and Uncertainty
When talking about uncertain future actions—what might happen—then either will + verb or going to + verb is acceptable. However, the emphasis does change subtly depending on which one you use.
Example #1
Correct: It’s supposed to be really hot out this weekend. I think I’ll go to the beach. (Implies that I am deciding to go to the beach right at the moment)
Correct: It’s supposed to be really hot out this weekend. I think I’m going to go to the beach. (Implies that I have already had the idea of going to the beach)
The simple present cannot be used here.
Incorrect: It’s supposed to be really hot out this weekend. I think I go to the beach.
Verb + -ing can be used when speculating as well, but this construction implies more strongly that an action is already planned. As a result, it tends to be used with phrases such as “pretty sure” or “fairly certain.”
Example #2
Correct: It’s supposed to be really hot out this weekend. I’m pretty sure I’m going to the beach on Saturday, and I might go on Sunday too.
Note that the “prediction” usage includes the first conditional (if clause = present; main clause = future).
Example #3
Correct: If it’s hot out this weekend, I’ll go to the beach.
Incorrect: If it’s hot out this weekend, I go to the beach.