Expressing the future (Advanced)

On our Facebook page today, we discussed New Year’s Resolutions and gave a little future-tense quiz.

Post by English42.

And here are the answers! How well did you do?

I’m going to quit smoking this year. I feel very strongly about this plan: smoking is expensive, my girlfriend hates it, and I need to be healthier. Now that I think about it I’ll need to give up coffee and alcohol too, because when I drink them I always feel like having a cigarette. But it should be easy too: no one is having any parties or going out in January, so there are no planned social events. By December 31^st 2014, I expect to have been cigarette-free for one year! Hopefully, the price of cigarettes will rise in the next 12 months, making it easier for me to quit.

Advanced students should get all of the answers correct, and may also notice that the words in bold generally define the sentences (especially the tenses of the sentences) where they lie. In another post, we discuss will, going to and the present continuous, which we use to express the future. 

Of course, there are more than 3 ways to express the future, and a fluent English speaker knows how to use these alternative expressions.

Generally speaking, an intermediate student knows the difference between “will”, “going to” and the present continuous; an upper-intermediate student will (mostly) be able to use them correctly. But sometimes these three forms aren’t good enough: we need to be more specific about how possible something is, or our feelings about a future event. A student who can use these alternative expressions correctly is moving towards proficiency in English.

EXPRESSING THE FUTURE: THE FUTURE PERFECT FORM
First of all, let’s take a look at one more tense: the future perfect.

By June, the weather will have improved.

This tense is slightly different to the tenses above: it gives a future time and a future event – but the event takes place before that time. Take another look at the example. It’s basically a prediction that the weather will get better. Maybe this will happen in April or May – but definitely before June. So, when we arrive at that time (June) we can say, in the present perfect tense: “The weather has improved.” But we’re not in June yet, and the weather hasn’t improved – so we must use the future form: “the weather will have improved.”

Here are some more examples:

• I don’t know exactly what time the football match starts at, but it will have begun by 8pm.
• She will have quit her job by Christmas. (maybe she’ll do this in November or December)
• The streetlights will have come on by 9 o’clock.

This is a very difficult sentence to build, so let’s take a look at how to use the future perfect form in a sentence:

FUTURE PERFECT
POSITIVE	[subject] “will” “have”+ [past participle verb] (rest of sentence, including time) I will have finished my homework by 5pm.
NEGATIVE	[subject] “won’t” “have”+ [past participle verb] (rest of sentence, including time) He won’t have saved enough money by May.
QUESTION	“Will” [subject] “have” + [past participle verb] (rest of sentence, including time) Will the weather have improved by June?

 

ACTIVITY IDEA:
Before we continue, write 2 or 3 sentences about your upcoming year, in the future perfect form.

EXPRESSING THE FUTURE: ALTERNATIVE EXPRESSIONS
Now, let’s look at some new ways to express future events. Here are 6 alternative expressions. For each expression, there are three sentences. Only one of the 3 sentences is correct. Take some time and take a note of which sentences you think are the correct ones.

PLAN	HOPE
1. I plan to finishing the project by Friday.	1. I hope I can go on a long holiday this summer.
2. I plan to finish the project by Friday.	2. I hope I will be able to go on a long holiday this summer.
3. I plan I’ll finish the project by Friday.	3. I hope I’m going to be able to go on a long holiday this summer.
HOPEFULLY	PROBABLY
1. Hopefully, the weather is nice tomorrow.	1. Probably, she will arrive next week.
2. Hopefully, the weather will be nice tomorrow.	2. She will arrive next week, probably.
3. Hopefully, the weather is going to be nice tomorrow.	3. She will probably arrive next week.
EXPECT	DECIDED
1. I expect the operation to take 5 hours.	1. He’s decided to bringing his laptop on his trip.
2. I expect the operation is taking 5 hours.	2. He’s decided to bring his laptop on his trip.
3. I expect the operation will take 5 hours.	3. He’s decided if he’ll bring his laptop on his trip.

Have you written your answers down? In a moment, we’ll see the correct answers and we’ll look at the correct use of each expression.
Firstly, you may notice that the future tense is not always used, and the rules about will, going to and the present continuous don’t apply any longer. Here we are talking about plans, hopes, expectations – so the correct verb form is more important.

Let’s look at each expression.

Plan

MEANING: A future event, planned personally

VERB FORM: infinitive (verb with “to”)

USAGE: always follow “plan” with the verb

EXAMPLES: “I plan to see her soon.” / “I’m not planning to stay much longer.”

Hope

MEANING: a desired future event

VERB FORM: use either with the present form or with the infinitive

USAGE: never use with the future forms

EXAMPLES: “He hopes to go on safari next year.” / “We hope you pass your exams!”

Hopefully

MEANING: to express a hope about the future. The future event is not certain, but desired.

VERB FORM: use with will

USAGE: Place at the start of a sentence

EXAMPLES: “Hopefully, she’ll wait for us even though we’re late.” / “Hopefully, the rain won’t continue for much longer.”

  

Probably

MEANING: an event which is almost 100% certain

VERB FORM: any future form.

USAGE: use after will / after “to be” (with going to and present continuous) but with negative sentences use before will / before “to be”

EXAMPLES: “It will probably take a long time to get to Barcelona.” / “He probably isn’t going to quit his job.”

  

Expect

MEANING: an event which a person anticipates or plans – this may not be true in reality

VERB FORM: infinitive

USAGE: always follow expect with the object; conjugate expect if the subject is “he”, “she” or “it”

EXAMPLES: “I expect the bus to arrive soon.” / “We don’t expect the delay to be for very long.”

Decide

MEANING: a personal plan for a future event

VERB FORM: infinitive

USAGE: Always follow decide with the verb. If it’s a negative sentence, follow it with “if”+[future tense sentence]

EXAMPLES: “He hasn’t decided if he’ll go out.” / “I’ve decided to break up with her.”

 


ACTIVITY IDEA 1:
Write a short text (around 100-150 words) expressing your New Year's Resolutions, or your hopes, expectations and plans for the next year of your life.

ACTIVITY IDEA 2:
Business students! Check out our mission statements blog on Business42.