Talking about the Future 1

Grammar Activation Pack 12

English has no Future!

In the previous Grammar Activation Packs I have introduced you to the present and the past tenses, along with the simple, continuous, and perfect aspects.

I also mentioned that English has only the two tenses, present and past.

So where does this leave us when we want to talk about the future?

Don’t worry, there are several ways that we can talk about the future, including using the present tense, which is what I am going to explain in this lesson.

Present Tenses for Future

There are two aspects of the present tense that we can use to talk about the future.

We can use the simple aspect which uses the auxiliary verb do, even when it is hidden, as it is below.

• The festivities start next week.

We can also use the continuous aspect, which uses the auxiliary verb be, and the ing form of a non-finite verb.

• The festivities are starting next week.

Both of these statements are talking about future events.

Present Simple Future Time

The following sentence talks about something we know with absolute certainty about the future.

• The festivities start next week.

The start date of the festivities is arranged or planned and is unalterable.

Notice that it also uses a future time indicator to make the future clear.

These future time indicators are often known as adverbials of time or time adverbials. We can also use noun phrases as time adverbials.

Present Continuous for Future

Likewise, we can talk about future arrangements using the present continuous if we use future time indicators to make it clear that we are talking about the future.

• The festivities are starting next week.

Without the future time indicator the sentence would suggest that the action was happening at the present, which is what the present continuous normally talks about.

• The festivities are starting.

Future Time Indicators

To use the present simple or the present continuous to talk about the future, we usually use a future time indicator if we want to make it clear what time we are talking about.

Future time indicators often use phrases with prepositions such as at, on, and in, along with expressions using next and this.

At

The preposition at is used to introduce time indicators when we talk about times on the clock, mealtimes, and in some fixed phrases.

• The festivities start at six o’clock.
• The festivities are starting at six o’clock.
• The festivities start at lunchtime.
• The festivities are starting at lunchtime.
• The festivities start at the weekend.
• The festivities are starting at Christmas.

On

The preposition on is used to introduce time indicators when we talk about days of the week and special days, along with specific dates.

• The festivities start on Monday.
• The festivities are starting on Monday.
• The festivities start on New Year’s Day.
• The festivities are starting on July 29th.
• The festivities start on 1st January.
• The festivities are starting on a Tuesday.

In

The preposition in is used to introduce time indicators when we talk about seasons, years, centuries, months, and parts of the day.

• The festivities start in winter this year.
• The festivities are starting in 2025.
• The festivities start in spring next year.
• The festivities are starting in August.
• The festivities start in the evening at 6.
• The festivities are starting in the spring.

This

The pronoun this is used to introduce time indicators when we talk about days of the week, weeks, months, years, weekends, and seasons.

• The festivities start this Friday.
• The festivities are starting this week.
• The festivities start this year.
• The festivities are starting this weekend.
• The festivities start this Monday at 7 pm.
• The festivities are starting this summer.

This means the closest upcoming period or, with week, month, and year, the period already in progress.

This Coming

The phrase this coming is used to introduce time indicators when we talk about days of the week, weeks, months, years, weekends, and seasons.

• The festivities start this coming Friday.
• The festivities are starting this coming week.
• The festivities start this coming year.
• The festivities are starting this coming weekend.
• The festivities start this coming Monday at 7 pm.
• The festivities are starting this coming summer.

This coming means the closest upcoming period.

Next

The adjective next is used to introduce time indicators when we talk about days of the week, weeks, months, years, weekends, and seasons.

• The festivities start next Friday.
• The festivities are starting next week.
• The festivities start next year.
• The festivities are starting next weekend.
• The festivities start next Monday at 7 pm.
• The festivities are starting next summer.

The… After Next

The expression the… after next is used to introduce time indicators when we talk about an even later time than that indicated by next on its own.

• The festivities start the Friday after next.
• The festivities are starting the week after next.
• The festivities start the year after next.
• The festivities are starting the weekend after next.

After next means the period following the closest upcoming period.

A week on…

When we talk about days a week or more after a day in this week, we can use a week/two weeks on… time indicator.

• The festivities start two weeks on Friday.
• The festivities are starting a week on Friday.
• The festivities start three weeks on Friday.
• The festivities are starting two weeks on Saturday.

X weeks on means that many weeks after the next closest mentioned day.

A week next…

When we talk about days some distance in the future, we can use a week/two weeks next… time indicator.

• The festivities start a week next Friday.
• The festivities are starting a week next Friday.
• The festivities start two weeks next Friday.
• The festivities are starting three weeks next Saturday.

X weeks next means that many weeks after the next mentioned day.

Implied Future

With the present continuous, certain verbs do not need to use a future time indicator as the future is implicit in the statement.

Verbs like meet, and phrasal verbs like pick up.

• I am meeting him at the cinema.
• I am picking him up from the airport.

Other Futures

There are other ways to talk about the future, too.

• Will
• Going to
• Modals
  • May, Might, Could, Should…
• Certain verbs:
  • Hope, Expect, Want, Plan…
• Conditional clauses

I am going to talk about these in future Grammar Activation Packs.

Grammar Activator

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Just click the Start Quiz button to begin.

You will be asked some random questions from a bank of questions.

Each time you complete the Grammar Activator you can refresh your browser and a new set of questions will be created for you.

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