Future 1 & Will m We can use will + the infinitive (without to] to refer to the future. Will is usually shortened in speech and informal writing to % The negative of will is won't k i We use will to talk about future events that we see as facts In June we will bring out two new models. Next year I'll be 45. The government will soon impose an obligation on at! electricity supply companies to buy a specified percentage of their power from renewable sources. (Guardian website) We use will to talk about future beliefs: Lynch believes that globalisation and consolidation in the technology sector will create a greater demand jor large and powerful bourses. 'Stock markets will have to cover a hi more market capitalisation and smaller markets will have less of a role' says Lynch- (Observer website) : We can add perhaps/maybe or probably to make the belief less certain: The first wave of fob tosses resulting from the mergers in German banking will probably be in the City of London. (BusinessWeek website) Notice that probably comes after will but before won't. He'll probably agree with you. He probably won't agree with you. We can use will with an introductory phrase to give other meanings. For example, a personal opinion (/ think) or a hope (/ hope): I think weril probably open a subsidiary in Russia next year. I hope he'll agree with you. Will can be used for instant decisions and thoughts that come into our head at the moment of speaking. /'// wait for you outside. I'll phone you tomorrow. I think I'll stop now. B Going to 1 We use the verb be + going to + the infinitive to make a connection between the present and the future. w We use going to for plans and intentions. These are tilings we have already decided to do. I believe that Greenspan is going to lower rates. There are some signs of liquidity problems in the credit markets at this point in time, and a smart central hank responds by easing credit. (New York Times website) The time in the future can be near or distant: I'm going to call Fiona Clarke this afternoon. We're going to open a factory in Hungary next year. G We use going to to make predictions when there is some evidence in the present situation: Be careful! It's going to fall. (1 can see it) / think we're going to lose this deal, (I've just heard some news) C Present continuous * We can use the present continuous tense to talk about things we have arranged to do in the future. There is nearly always a time expression. Ann is leaving tomorrow morning. HSBC are moving to new premises next year. The arrangements are often social arrangements or appointments. What are you doing on Tuesday afternoon? I'm seeing Jack at two, and after that I'm meeting my bank manager. D Will or going to? Will is used for instant decisions. Going to is used for plans and intentions, Compare: OK, 1 know what to do. I'll call Jane, (an instant decision) Do you have the information for Jane? I'm going to call her this afternoon, (an intention) i Will is used for general beliefs, opinions, hopes and things the speaker sees as facts. I'm sure they'll like the new design. In the future, more people will work from ho.me- When will is used with a phrase like I think and/or words like probably then the belief/opinion becomes less certain, like a prediction. / think you'll like this idea. The world will probably end in about five billion years. But if there is strong evidence in the present situation then going to is usually used for predictions: I think it's going to rain. (I can see black clouds) We're going to make a loss on this project. (I have the figures in front of me) ,.' There are occasions when we can use either form: In my presentation I'll talk/I'm going to talk about three main areas. First ,■■ Here the speaker could see it as a fact (will) or an intention {going to). Will is more usual in writing. 7/ and going to are more usual in speech. E Going to or present continuous? ;,■ For future plans and arrangements there is often little difference between going to and the present continuous. I'm going to give/I'm giving my presentation on Friday. n Going to can suggest that the details of the arrangement have not been finalised. The present continuous can suggest that the arrangement is more fixed, with a time and a place. I'm going to meet him next week, (just a plan - time and place are still unknown) I'm meeting him at ten in my office, (a definite, fixed arrangement) F Time expressions Q Common time expressions for the future include: tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, on Friday at the weekend, next week, in a few days' time. 7 Practice Exercise 1 A B C Matrh sentences 1-6 with their uses a)-f). a) a future fact d) a future plan or intention b) an opinion about the future e) a prediction with evidence in the present sftuation c) an instant decision f) a future arrangement 1 I'm going to ask my Doss for a pay rise next weefc:. 2 I'm sorry to near that. I'll find out what the problem is right now. 3 I'm sorry, but I won't be here tomorrow. I'll be in Paris. 4 i'rn meeting Angela for lunch. Do you want to join us? 5 Tneir share price will probably rise when the market recovers, 6 With so much competition it's going to be difficult to increase S2les. -ď] □ L- : C □ Exercise 2 D E Underline the correct words in each mini-dialogue, 1 A: Are you 'ree next Tuesday morning? B: Sorry, I'll have/I'm having a meeting with Sue. A: Oh, right. Well, what about Thursday? 2 A: What are your plans for next year? B: We'll open/We're going to operí e new factory in Hungary, A: That sound's interesting 3 A: What do you think about their new marketing campaign? B: I think it'll probably succeed/it's probably succeeding. A: Do you really? 4 A: What about tomorrow at around five thirty? B: OK, ill see you then. /I'm seeing you then. A; Sye. 5 A: So as you can see, I've been thinking about this problem quite a lot. B: Yes, I see. So. what are you going to do?/what are you doing? A: Resign! 6 A. It would be nice to see you next week. B: Yes, it would. Are you doing anything/Will you do anything on Wednesday? A: Nor I'm free. Exercise 3 A B C D E Complete the sentences by putting the verbs in brackets into the most appropriate future form. Choose between will going to anc the present continuous. 1 Have you heard the news? Vivendi........Íí...^P.(!S^...ŤR..tíUiy.......(buy) Seagram. 2 I........__.....................,.................. (meet) Andrea at nine next Thursday morning outside the station. 3 I've just had a call from Richaro -- he „..............................-........„, (be) late, 4 Next year..................................................{be) the company's centenary year. 5 This taxi driver is terrible. He..................................,............... (have) an aeddent. 6 \r\ the future viueo-cunferences..................................................(probably 'eplace) many international meetings. 7 We..................................................(test) the new machine sometime next week. a I......................-.............(go) to Manchester on Friday. 9 Would you mmd waiting for a moment? ).............,..............................{not be) big. Exercise 4 A B D Complete this dialogue by putting each of the verbs in brackets into the future. Choose between will ard going to. Sometimes either answer may be possible, but decide which form is the most natural. Use contractions where possible. joanna: Please, come m, have a seat. Would you like a drink? Coffee? Mineral water? greg: Oh, I (1) ...............ILtaVk.................(have) a coffee please. Joanna: Lucy ... could you make two coffees? (sighs) Well, thanks for coining this morning. I (2) ................................................ (tell) you why 1 asked you here. Urn, as you know, ther? (3) ................................................(be) some big changes in the company. In fact, we (4).................................................(restructure) the whole department. gr.ec: Yes, I know. When (5)................................................(it/happen)? joanna: Everything (6) ................................................(be) finished by the summer. Urn, the thing i&, under the new structure your job (7) ................................................(probably/disappear). greg: Really? Is that certain? Joanna: Well, we (8) ................................................(have) a meeting next week to finalise all the plans, and of course 1 (9) ................................................ (let) you know what we decide. Anyway, you don't have to worry. rat EG: Oh? (coffee arrives) JOANNA: Well, as I was saying, you don't h.ive to worry. We (10) ................................................(offer) you a new job. You (11) ................................................(have) more responsibility, and the salary (12) ................................................(be) much better. greg: That's wonderiul, thank you very much. What exactly (1.3} ................................................(the new job / involve)? joanjva: Well, we (14) ................................................(expand) the whole customer services area, (f you accept the job, you (15)................................................(be) responsible for the new team. Um, it (16)................................................(mciin) a lot more work, of course. What do you think? orcEO: It sounds great, but 1 (17) ................................................(need) a day oi' two to think about it. joamna: Of course, no problem. Look, 1 (IS) ................................................(not/be) in the office for the next few days - I (19) ................................................ (visit) our subsidiary in Hungary. (20) ................................................(you/have) an answer for me by next week? greg: Yes, I (21) ................................................ (g*ve) you my decision on Monday. Exercise 5 A C Complete this email from a PA to her boss by putting the verbs in brackets into the future. Choose between will and the oresent continuous. Use contractions where possible. Subject: Mira Melisse I' T*£ Pierre Gaudard. lechnical Director : Seilt: 14 March . Visit to Slávenie I've booked your flight to Stovema. You (1) .....,C£.j£&vir^... (leave* on Tuesday 3rd at S.45 in the morning, so you (2)........................(arrive) in Ljubfjana before lunch. Someone (3)................--------(be) at the airport to meet you. Your first meeting is with Aleksander Presekar, ar>d you (4)..................______(see) him at 1 pm at our local office. He (5)............... (probably/take) you out to lunch. After lurch you (6)................________(not/do) anything until 4 pm. so you (7)........................ (have) time to Qo to the hotel. You (8) _...........(stay) at the Intercontinental, which is in h vary centra} location I (3) ........................ (go) to the travel agents to pick up the tickets this afternoon, so I (10)........................(fl>ve) them to you tomorrow. Future 2 A Future: time expressions We use the present simple or the present perfect (not will) to refer to the future after these words: when, after, before, unless, in case, as soon as, until, by the time, the next time: When I see her, I'll tell her you called. We'll discuss it again after you get back. As soon as I've finished the report, I'll email it to you You can wait here until she comes back. Notice that a future form {will, can) is used in the other part of the sentence. B present simple/continuous We often use the present simple (or present continuous) when we talk about events in the future based on a fixed timetable, programme or calendar: Jim's plane leaves (is leaving) at 12.15. Our boss retires (is retiring) next year. € Future continuous The future continuous is formed with will + be + the -ing form of the verb: One filing tlull is fhw h that more mid !at-$tf'liuutiiiftt' comp'tilics will be iiit>cstiii}> ill Oiiiui ttiul that tin1 new government mill than to. (Asiaw