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 honor as well). In fact, the way it is generally presented is not just overly complicated but also bears 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.
So, 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) is or are appropriate, you need to answer one simple question:
- Is the future action being decided on in the moment?
OR:
- Is the future action already planned?
I. In 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 form of the verb, your speech will likely sound stiff and unnatural, so you should practice saying the following until you can produce them automatically.
- I’ll
- You’ll
- He’ll/She’ll
- We’ll
- They’ll
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 to get milk at the moment.)
Example #2
Person A: The car’s been making funny noises. I think there’s something wrong with the engine.
Person B: Okay, we’ll take it to the shop tomorrow. (The person is deciding right then that the car should be taken to the shop.)
Note that you cannot substitute the simple present for the present continuous in this type of situation. This is a common error among speakers of Romance languages (French, Italian, etc.), in which the simple present is acceptable.
Example #3
Incorrect:
Person A: This chair is pretty heavy. I’m having trouble moving it.
Person B: Wait a minute, I help you.
Correct:
Person A: This chair is pretty heavy. I’m having trouble moving it.
Person B: Wait a minute, I’ll help you.
Note that 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 verb.
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.
Note: 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 (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 options for forming the future:
- Going to + verb
- Verb + -ing
These two forms have essentially the same meaning and are generally both correct. They just have slightly different emphases.
- Going to + verb emphasizes that the action will take place in the future.
- Verb + -ing emphasizes that the action will continue for some period of time in the future.
Will + verb is not colloquial, and it is not a construction that a native speaker would use when referring to something that is already planned.
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)
Avoid: She will move in with some friends from work next month.
Note that in everyday speech, going to is often contracted into gonna. In addition, the short “o” sound is softened, 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.
Finally, we can also consider…
III. Predictions and Speculation
When speculating about future action—that is, what you think might happen—then either will + verb or going to + verb is acceptable. However, the emphasis does change slightly depending on which one you use.
Correct: It’s supposed to be really hot out this weekend. I think I’ll go to the beach. (= I am deciding to go to the beach right at this moment)
Correct: It’s supposed to be really hot out this weekend. I think I’m going to go to the beach. (= I already had the idea that I might 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.”
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.