Future forms: plans, promises and timetables – future forms exercises: will, going to and more
About this lesson
This B1 drill lesson gives future forms exercises on choosing between four forms: will, be going to, the present continuous for arrangements and the present simple for timetables.
- Grammar
- Will for predictions, offers and promises; going to for plans and what you can see coming; I'm meeting… for arrangements; The ferry leaves… for timetables.
- Topic
- A work trip to Singapore: Solveig's email to her team about her conference week, her messages with Cosmo, Dashiell's post and a chat with Solveig.
- Activities
- Choices, sorting, gap-fills, tables, matching, word order, quizzes, drag-and-drop messages, a memory game and a chat, each with its answers built in.
What's inside
Chapter 1The rule
Chapter 2Will or going to?
- Choose will or going to: read the clueChoose the optionTry it
- Match the situations and the repliesMatchUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with will or going toFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the table: will and going toFill in the tableUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: will and going toUnjumbleUnlock
- Choose the right answer: will or going to?QuizUnlock
- Read the messages and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 3Arrangements and timetables
- Choose the right form: arrangements and timetablesChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: present continuous for arrangementsFill in the gapsTry it
- Fill in the gaps: timetables in the present simpleFill in the gapsUnlock
- Match the questions and the answersMatchUnlock
- Put the words in order to make questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Choose the right question for each answerQuizUnlock
- Read Beatrix's message and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 4All four together
- Choose the right future formChoose the optionUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: choose the future formFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the conversation and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropTry it
- Put the words in the right order: all four formsUnjumbleUnlock
- Read the note on the fridge and choose the right formsChoose the optionUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: A week in Singapore
- Read Solveig's emailReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the email again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read the email again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
- Read Solveig's messages and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Dashiell's post and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Solveig texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right form: at the airportChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: offers, decisions and promises with willFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: plans and evidence with going toFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: present continuous or present simpleFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: plans and arrangementsUnjumbleUnlock
- Match the situations and the sentencesMatchUnlock
- Fill in the table: arrangements and timetablesFill in the tableUnlock
- Sort the sentences: why is this form right?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Choose the right form: a busy week at workChoose the optionUnlock
- Read Henrike's message and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Imogen's email and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the news and choose the right formsChoose the optionUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: questions and short answersMemory gameUnlock
- Choose the right answer: which future form?QuizUnlock
Grammar: four ways to talk about the future
English has no single future tense. Clues in the sentence pick the form: a decision made now or a promise takes will, a plan or something you can see coming takes going to, an arrangement takes the present continuous, and a timetable the present simple.
Future forms: will, going to, present continuous, present simple
English has four common ways to talk about the future. Clues in the sentence tell you which one to use.
Will, going to, -ing or the present simple
I think you'll love the city is a prediction; We're going to paint the kitchen is a plan; I'm meeting Kofi at the station at six is an arrangement; The ferry leaves at 7:30 tomorrow is a timetable.
| Form | We use it for… | Example |
|---|---|---|
| will + verb | predictions: I think…, I'm sure…, probably | I think you'll love the city. |
| will + verb | decisions made now, offers, promises | Is it heavy? I'll help you. |
| be going to + verb | plans: we decided before now | We're going to paint the kitchen. We bought the paint. |
| be going to + verb | predictions from what we can see now | Look at that sky! It's going to snow. |
| be + verb-ing (present continuous) | arrangements: a time, a place, often other people | I'm meeting Kofi at the station at six. |
| present simple | timetables and schedules: trains, flights, classes, events | The ferry leaves at 7:30 tomorrow. |
Negatives and questions
Won't is the short form of will not: She won't call. Going to and the present continuous make questions with be (Are you going to stay? Are they leaving?); timetables use do or does: When does the bus leave?
| Form | Positive (+) | Negative (−) | Question (?) |
|---|---|---|---|
| will | She'll call. · She will call. | She won't call. · She will not call. | Will she call? |
| be going to | I'm going to stay. | I'm not going to stay. | Are you going to stay? |
| present continuous | They're leaving on Monday. | They aren't leaving on Monday. | Are they leaving on Monday? |
| present simple | The bus leaves at 8. | The bus doesn't leave at 8. | When does the bus leave? |
Decided before or decided now?
A plan made before you speak takes going to: I've saved for a year. I'm going to buy a bike. A decision made at that moment takes will: The doorbell! I'll get it.
Decided before: going to
- I've saved for a year. I'm going to buy a bike.
- Why do you have a suitcase? — I'm going to visit my aunt.
Decided now: will
- The doorbell! I'll get it.
- Can you help me? — Sure, I'll be there in five minutes.
Arrangement or timetable?
Booked, or agreed with someone, at a set time: We're having dinner with the Parks on Friday. Printed on a timetable, a program or a schedule: The concert starts at 8 p.m. Our plane lands at 6:20.
An arrangement: present continuous
- You agreed it with someone, or you booked it. Say when!
- We're having dinner with the Parks on Friday.
- I'm seeing the doctor at 10 tomorrow.
A timetable: present simple
- It's on a timetable, a program or a schedule.
- The concert starts at 8 p.m.
- Our plane lands at 6:20.
Clues, and when two forms are right
Look! points to going to; Sure or Don't worry to will; a time with another person to -ing. Where two forms sound natural, both count: We're meeting or We're going to meet at 7.
Clues in the sentence
- Look! · Look at… · Listen! · I can see… → going to
- Why…? · I've decided · I bought / I've saved… → going to (or present continuous)
- Sure · OK · Oh! · Don't worry → will (an offer, a decision now)
- I think · I'm sure · probably → will (going to is OK too)
- probably usually goes after will and before won't: It'll probably rain. It probably won't rain.
- a time + another person, booked, on my calendar → present continuous
- a timetable: The train / The museum / The class … at 9:15 → present simple
Often, two forms are right
Plans and arrangements: We're meeting / We're going to meet at 7. Predictions with I think: It'll be / It's going to be fun. Promises: I'll pay / I'm going to pay you back. Timetables: The train leaves / will leave at 6. Where two forms are natural, both are right in this lesson. The clues decide only when one form is wrong.
Common mistakes
Watch for Look at those clouds! It will rain, What do you do tonight?, I promise I call you tomorrow and I will to send you the photos. After will and going to comes the plain verb: She's going to call.
Look at those clouds! It will rain.
Look at those clouds! It's going to rain.
we can see it now: going to
What do you do tonight?
What are you doing tonight?
plans for tonight: present continuous
I promise I call you tomorrow.
I promise I'll call you tomorrow.
a promise: will, not the present simple
I will to send you the photos. She's going to calls.
I'll send you the photos. She's going to call.
will + verb, never will to · going to + verb, never + -s
Examples
- Look at the score! We're going to win!evidence: going to
- You look tired. I'll make dinner tonight.an offer: will
- I won't tell anybody. I promise!a promise: won't = will not
- Are you doing anything on Saturday?an arrangement: present continuous
- What time does your flight land?a timetable: present simple
- Zainab's going to study law. She decided last year.a plan: going to
More lessons on this grammar: Future tenses lessons and exercises
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What's in the lesson
- 40 auto-checked exercises
- 5 games
- 1 real-life document
- 1 grammar scheme
- 1 picture
The main objectives of this lesson are to:
- offer, promise and decide on the spot with will: Give it to me. I'll carry it. I won't tell anyone.
- use going to for plans and for what you can see: Why did you buy so much paint? – I'm going to paint the whole apartment.
- talk about arrangements in the present continuous: I'm seeing the dentist at 10:15 tomorrow.
- give timetable times in the present simple: The next bus to the airport leaves at 4:50.
- read the clue before choosing: Look at those clouds! It's going to rain, not It will rain
- Grammar:
- future forms · will · be going to · present continuous for the future · present simple for timetables
- Topic:
- grammar practice · business travel · conferences · plans
Teaching tips
- Ask about real weekend plans: students ask three classmates What are you doing on Saturday? and report one arrangement with a time and a person: Mia is meeting her cousin at noon.
- Run a quick “offer or plan?” round: say a problem (I'm so thirsty!) or a question (Why did you buy a tent?), and students answer at once with I'll… or I'm going to…
- Plan a day from a timetable: give pairs an invented ferry schedule and a free afternoon; they write five lines that mix leaves, we're meeting and it's going to rain.
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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · B1
English Grammar Practice · B1 has 28 drill lessons, one grammar point each: the present perfect continuous, narrative tenses, future forms, modals of deduction, the second conditional, the passive, relative clauses, reported speech, question tags and linkers. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course
- 1Present perfect continuous: how long have you been doing it?
- 2Present perfect simple or continuous: how many or how long?
- 3Past perfect: what had happened before?
- 4Narrative tenses: telling a great story
- 5Future forms: plans, promises and timetables
- 6Future time clauses: I'll call you when I land
- 7Used to, be used to, get used to: settling in
- 8Modal verbs: can, must, should or might?
- 9Could, was able to, managed to: did you make it?
- 10Modals of deduction: whose bag could it be?
- 11Second conditional: what would you do?
- 12Conditionals compared: real or imagined?
- 13Present and past passive: how is it made?
- 14Passive in other tenses: what's being done?
- 15Relative clauses: the person who, the place where
- 16Reported statements: who said what?
- 17Reported questions and commands: what did they ask you?
- 18Indirect questions: could you tell me where it is?
- 19Question tags: it's your first day, isn't it?
- 20Gerunds and infinitives: enjoy doing or decide to do?
- 21Reflexive pronouns: did you make it yourself?
- 22Although, however, despite: great view, tiny room
- 23So, such and because of: what a storm!
- 24Phrasal verbs: who's going to clean it up?
- 25All, both, either, neither, none: two or a whole group?
- 26-ed and -ing adjectives: bored or boring?
- 27Advanced comparatives: the more, the better
- 28Articles with place names: the Nile, but Lake Como