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B2 Unit 5 - Future verb forms - Grammar class transcript

The document discusses various future verb forms and their implications in expressing certainty and intention. It explains the differences between 'will', 'be going to', and present continuous forms, highlighting how each conveys the speaker's level of commitment and prior thought. Additionally, it covers future perfect and future continuous forms, emphasizing their usage in predictions and polite requests.

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Sonia García Carricondo
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15 views

B2 Unit 5 - Future verb forms - Grammar class transcript

The document discusses various future verb forms and their implications in expressing certainty and intention. It explains the differences between 'will', 'be going to', and present continuous forms, highlighting how each conveys the speaker's level of commitment and prior thought. Additionally, it covers future perfect and future continuous forms, emphasizing their usage in predictions and polite requests.

Uploaded by

Sonia García Carricondo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Future verb forms – grammar class

When we talk about the present or the past we can be fairly certain about what we are
saying, this though, is not true when it comes to speaking about the future as it hasn’t
happened yet. We may be more, or less, certain about what we are saying and expressing
this level of certainty is one of the things that influence our choice of verb form when we
speak about the future. Even though the future is uncertain, that doesn’t stop up thinking
about it and making plans and arrangements. A second factor when it comes to choosing a
verb form is how much we have thought about what it is we are saying beforehand. Let’s
compare some sentences:

“I’ll study history at university next year.”

“I’m going to study history at university next year.”

“I’m studying history at university next year.”

While each of these sentences describe the same thing they each tell us something different
about the speakers position in relation to studying next year. The use of ‘will’ in sentence
one can mean two things; this is a decision made at the time of speaking or this is a vow or
oath – an undertaking on the part of the speaker to make this happen. However, the use of a
contracted form means that it is probably the first – an instant decision. The speaker has
not thought about this before, however, there is a high level of certainty. Given the context,
a university degree, this seems an odd choice of verb form, as most people give their choice
of what to study at university a great deal of thought before deciding. ‘Will’ for instant
decisions is more common for offers or less important decisions:

“I’ll help you carry those bags.” “I’ll have the chicken salad,
please.”

As we said earlier, ‘will’ as a vow or an oath is normally in its full form:

“I will study history at university next year.”

Here the speaker could be speaking to a worried parent or teacher who doubts whether this
will happen. ‘Will’ with this meaning is often used for promises or threats:

“I will love you forever, I promise!”

“If you don’t turn down the music, I will call the police.”

Let’s go back to our original three sentences. But this time we will focus on the second two.
‘Be going to’ signals that it’s the speaker’s intention to study history at university next year,
whereas the present continuous signals that the speakers’ studies for next year have already
been arranged. In both cases the speaker has thought previously about what they will study,
but the use of the present continuous expresses a greater degree of certainty. While our
intentions can change relatively easily – think about these examples

“Next year I’m going to give up smoking and start going to the gym.”

“I’m going to start saving my money instead of wasting it on going out.”


©Oxford University Press España
- Arrangements are less likely to be changed. If you have gone to the trouble of arranging
something you are more committed to carrying it out. Often the present continuous is used
with times and dates:

“I’m starting my new job next Monday.” “I’m meeting Marta for dinner at 08:00.”

These are one off events, if we are talking about something that occurs with regularity like,
for example, a bus or train departure or anything else that’s timetabled we can use the
present simple:

“My train leaves tomorrow morning at 10:30.”

“The film starts at 20:00, so I’ll pick you up at 19:30.”

This use of present simple to refer to the future expresses the highest degree of certainty
and clearly refers to something that has been thought about beforehand, as it is something
that appears on a timetable. With the verb forms we have looked at so far there is a certain
element of subjectivity as the speakers view of the future is what is being shown. What one
person considers a certainty another might not, so two different speakers may chose two
different verb forms to refer to the same thing.

Another way we refer to the future is by making predictions. When we do this we can make
a prediction based on some evidence or on simply our intuition. Compare these two
predictions:

“There are dark clouds in the sky; it looks like it’s going to rain.”

“In the year 2100 people will be able to communicate with their thoughts”

As we can see from these examples we use ‘going to’ to make a prediction based on some
present evidence, while we use will to make a prediction based on pure speculation.

Just as we can speak about the past and present using perfect and continuous verb forms,
we can do the same when we speak about the future. The future perfect refers to a
completed action at a certain time in the future:

“I will have finished my exams by mid-July.” “My mum will have retired by Christmas.”

We form the future perfect with ‘will’ + ‘have’ + past participle.

The future continuous is used to refer to an action that will be in progress at a certain time in
the future:

“This time next week we’ll be lying on a beach in Greece.”

“In September we’ll be working in our new offices.”

The future continuous is often used as a polite request for information:

“Will you be attending the meeting this evening?”

“Will your company be releasing any new products this year?”

©Oxford University Press España


We form the future continuous with ‘will’ + ‘be’ + ‘-ing’.

Please replay this video when you are doing the exercises on future verb forms.

©Oxford University Press España

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