Hello! This video is about the future in English. The first thing I’m going to say is maybe going to surprise you. There is no future tense in English. Let me explain. Let’s look at these verbs: begin, begin begun; draw, drew, drawn. I’ve changed the form of these verbs, but there’s no change that I can make to these verbs to make them refer to the future. So well then, how do we talk about the future in English? ecause we obviously do talk about it! Well, all we have to do is we have to add extra words. Well, okay, so you gave us a problem and then now you have solved the problem, so why are you doing this? I’ll tell you. Why does this matter? The future in English is messy. Rules for past and present verb tenses can be complicated, but there are fairly clear rules. Now, sometimes there’s overlapping rules, and we can we can do one thing or another and it doesn’t matter, but, so, that’s what I mean when I say it’s complicated, but talking about the future is less clear than talking about the present or the pas. That’s the bad news. The good news is that mistakes when talking about the future are much less serious. Even if you make a mistake, most people will understand what you’re trying to say. Where if you make a mistake with the past or the present, you can actually be saying something quite different from what you think you’re saying. In the future, that’s not usually such a problem. Okay, in this lesson we’re going to talk about these… now I just said there’s no verb tenses and and there aren’t, but we can still think of them as such; we can talk about the future simple, the future continuous, the future perfect, and the future perfect continuous. The way that we get there is a little bit different than we get there in past or present verb tenses, though. Okay, let’s get started. So generally, the future simple is used for events that are predicted or intended for the future. We choose the form of the future simple based on how we see the situation, so if we see the situation one way, we use one way to talk about the future; if we see the situation differently, we can use a different way to talk about the future. We’re going to look at going to, will, the present continuous, and the present simple. So to keep things straight, I’ve made this table for us. Now these are guidelines – they’re not absolute rules, so please remember that again if we use the the wrong form of the future, people will usually still understand, although it might take them a little bit of extra effort. Let’s take a look. So we’ll start at the top there where it says vague plans or intentions. Typically for vague plans or intentions, we would use going to. So, for example: uh… We’re going to visit my parents. Yeah, yeah, yeah, leave me alone, okay? I know. I’m going to fix the window. Notice there I use the short form gonna, instead of going to. No difference, no difference in meaning. He’s going to look for a solution. When? I don’t know but just relax; it’ll be fine. Okay? So vague plans or intentions. Definite plans, now this is the funny thing about the future, is that because it hasn’t happened yet, it could always change, but sometimes we make plans and they’re kind of yeah maybe, and other times we make plans and they’re much more sure. So for definite plans, or more definite plans, we typically use the present continuous. Let’s take a look. So for definite plans: We’re visiting my parents on Sunday. So you can see here – now i don’t have to add this on Sunday, but I did that in this example because it shows, well, it’s not some vague idea; we have a specific plan: We’re visiting my parents on Sunday. I’m fixing the window tonight. Now could I say I’m going to fix the window tonight? Yes, that wouldn’t be wrong, but typically this is what people would say. He’s flying to Phoenix next week. The sentence usually includes the specific time that the plan will happen. You know what? I’m not sure I like this word “usually.” Maybe I should have said “often” instead. Like I said, the future’s kind of a little bit strange. It’s, it’s hard to, uh, it’s hard to make rules that will always be true. Think of these as guidelines. Okay the next category is the decision at the time of speaking. So you weren’t – this isn’t a plan; this is a decision that’s made right now. Typically we would say will. So decision at time speaking I’ll finish this job tomorrow. Next, oh I’ll get the door. You weren’t sitting there… wait, wait, come back, come back, come back! That wasn’t really the doorbell; that was, that was, that was the video. You weren’t… Let’s just play pretend. You weren’t sitting there waiting for the doorbell to ring. The doorbell rang and you made a decision right away: I’ll get the door; I’ll answer the door is what that means. Are you hungry? I am. Yeah, I’ll call for pizza. So that wasn’t my plan a few moments ago, but since we’re both hungry, yeah, I’ll make a decision now, I’ll call for pizza. Next, an offer of help. We would also use will. So, I’ll carry your groceries for you. We’ll help find a solution. I’ll open the door for you. Okay? So I’ll help you in this way, I’m going to carry your groceries for you makes it sound like this is a definite plan. The next situation we’re going to look at is a promise. And we would also say will for that. I’ll pay you back next week. I’ll do all – let’s work together on this; don’t worry, it’ll be fine for you – I’ll do all the hard work. Now,Ii don’t have the word “promise” in either of these, but we understand that a promise is being made, a commitment. I won’t make that mistake again. Next prediction based on knowledge or information or experience. For this we would also use will. So, no no, he’ll get that question wrong. There’s no way he’s going to find the answer. Um… yeah, we’ll be finished by nine o’clock. Ah! This team, they’re playing so well, they’ll win the game tonight. They’ll win the game tonight for sure. Next, a prediction based on a current observation. We would typically use going to. So, look up in the sky Hmm it’s going to rain tonight. The game is almost over, we’re up by a lot… we’re going to win the game. Ah! She’s going to be late again. She’s always late and I’m sure today will be no different. And the last one, I’m hoping you can figure this one out because we haven’t used the present simple yet. We use the present simple to talk about scheduled events. Let’s look at some examples. So the train leaves at 7:30. My plane takes off at quarter after nine. The lesson starts when the teacher arrives. Okay? So those are all scheduled events. Now we’re going to look at the future continuous. The future continuous is for an action that will be in progress at a certain time in the future. So here’s a timeline. We’ll put some information on it: six o’clock, 10 o’clock, so that’s the time that I’ll be working, from six o’clock to eight… to ten o’clock. So at eight o’clock, which is in the middle of that time… okay? Between six and ten o’clock I can say: Don’t call me at eight o’clock; I’ll be working. So my work will be in progress at that time. Different example: I’m going to be sleeping at midnight. So, yeah, come on, we’ll stop by your place at midnight and then we’ll go out. No, don’t come to my place at midnight. I’ll be sleeping at midnight, or I’m going to be sleeping at midnight. Again, we can use both. She’ll be walking home at that time – whatever time that is. Okay? So this, this talks about actions that will be in progress at a certain time. We can also use the future continuous for longer events in the future. So i’m travelling to London next week. I’ll be staying at the Ritz in London. I’ll be studying economics at university. Typically, that would probably be for four years, so that’s obviously a longer time. He’s going to be travelling for six weeks. Now let’s take a look at the future perfect. The future – this is a little bit complicated, so hold on to your hat – which is an idiom that means get ready – the future perfect is used to talk about a time or event that is in the future now. So here we are right now, okay? So we’re talking about something that’s in the future, but that will be in the past at a time further in the future. So there’s what – it’s in the future right now, but it will be in the past at a future time in the future. Let’s see if we can’t make this a little bit easier. Today is Monday. Right now, both Wednesday and Friday are in the future. So far, so good? By the time Friday comes, Wednesday will be in the past, even though Wednesday is in the future right now. So if I look at this from – I’m looking forward in time and I’m saying on Friday, Wednesday will be in the past. Okay? By Friday I will have finished this project. So by Friday, it will be over; I will have finished this. Same concept, although I’m not talking about the project anymore, By then, we will have seen the movie. So by then, I will know how the movie ends, because by then, I will have seen the movie, even though I haven’t seen it yet. Not right now. By that time, our holiday will have ended. Future perfect continuous – you thought we were done, didn’t you? Almost, almost. The future perfect continuous is used to talk about how long something will have been happening at a certain time in the future. So, there’s our certain time in the future, and we’re talking about how long something will have been happening. So how long this has been happening… Does this have to start in the future or can it start in the past? Well, the answer is, it doesn’t matter; that’s, that’s not what is important here. What’s important is at this time, how long will have this been happening? From there or, from all the way back there… We don’t know it doesn’t matter. Let’s look at some examples. By Wednesday, which is in the future right now, I will have been working for 12 days. I will have been working for 12 days in a row. Okay? So by the time this Wednesday comes, I will have been working for 12 days. By 2 a.m., he will have been sleeping for three hours. So obviously, he went to bed at 11:00.By 2 a.m. 3 hours of sleeping will already be in the past. Okay, I’ve put some sentences here. I would like you to take a look at them. Decide if they are correct or not and then why they are correct or not. Okay, so here are the sentences. You take a look, pause the video and I’ll be back in a moment with the answers. Okay, so how do you think we did? First, here’s the answers, or, well here’s whether it’s right or wrong. Ugh! Only one is right! Oh my goodness! Let’s take a look. Number one: She going to be late. is going to be; we forgot the auxiliary there. Number two: They will probably won’t get married. Hmm… well it sounds like you’re saying two different things at the same time here. Will or won’t, but not both. So i could say: They probably won’t get married, that would work, or They will probably get married, but I can’t have both. Number three: His sister will be not happy. His sister won’t be happy. Okay? Will be not? Nope, that’s not going to work for us. Number four: He will probably has more popcorn. This is one of the easier ones, I think. He will probably have more popcorn. Number five, thank goodness, is correct. Let’s get back to work at number six: I will going shopping tomorrow. No. We take off the “going”. I will go shopping tomorrow. Number seven: It going to rain. I forgot my auxiliary. It is going to rain. Number eight: They will losing the game. No they will lose the game – that’s my prediction: They will lose the game. Number nine: What time is leaving the train? No, not even close! What time is the train leaving? And number ten: I will am finished by then. We just looked at this. I will be finished by then. Okay, so how did you do? If you’d like some more practice, look below; I’ve created some more practice activities for you. That’s all for now. Thank you very much.