Present tenses for the future

English can use several present forms to talk about future time. We use be going to mainly for plans and intentions, the present continuous for future arrangements, and the present simple for timetables and scheduled events. English does not have a separate inflected future form of the verb, so future meaning can be expressed through structures such as these as well as modal verbs such as will.

Present tenses for the future at a glance

The three forms below can all refer to future time, but they usually present the future event in different ways.

When do we use present tenses for the future?

These forms can sometimes describe the same future event, but the choice depends on whether the speaker presents it as an intention, an arrangement or part of a schedule.

Plans and intentions with be going to

If a future action has already been decided and is therefore a plan or intention, we can use be going to + bare infinitive:

• We’re going to look for a new house next month.
• I’m not going to eat chocolate again.
• He is going to work in London next week.
• They are going to perform in a concert at the weekend.

When the main verb is go, both be going to + go and the present continuous of go can refer to the future, but they are different structures:

• I’m going to go to Spain next month. (a plan or intention)
• I’m going to Spain next month. (a future arrangement)

In many situations, both are possible; the difference is mainly in how the speaker presents the future event.

Be going to can also be used for predictions based on present evidence; see will vs going to for more information about this use.

Future arrangements with the present continuous

Use the present continuous for future arrangements that are already organised or fixed. This often means that a time or place has been agreed, a booking or appointment has been made, or other people are involved:

• I’m meeting my sister at the train station tomorrow.
• My parents are visiting me next week.
• I’m seeing my doctor tomorrow.
• She’s having her hair cut tonight.

The future meaning normally needs to be clear from a future time expression or the surrounding context. For example, I’m meeting my sister tomorrow clearly refers to the future, but I’m meeting my sister could refer to the present unless the context is known.

Because an arrangement is also a type of plan or intention, you can still use going to. However, using the present continuous (as above) often suggests a more definite arrangement or commitment with someone else, while going to focuses more on the plan or intention itself:

• I’m going to meet my sister at the station tomorrow. (this is my plan/intention)
• I’m meeting my sister at the station tomorrow. (this has been arranged)

• We’re going to have dinner at the new Chinese restaurant tonight. (this is our plan)
• We’re having dinner at the new Chinese restaurant tonight. (this has been arranged, for example by making a reservation)

Scheduled events and timetables with the present simple

Use the present simple for future events that are part of a timetable, programme or fixed schedule:

• Hurry up! The train leaves in 10 minutes!
• The concert starts at 7pm.
• The bus to Grimsby departs at 5:15.

The present simple can also be used for personal future events when they are presented as fixed items in a schedule or itinerary rather than simply as personal arrangements:

• She has an appointment with the headmaster after school today.
• We fly to Paris on Monday morning.
• My exam starts at 9 o’clock tomorrow.

Personal events can sometimes be expressed with either form. The present simple presents the event as part of a fixed schedule or itinerary, while the present continuous presents it as an arrangement that has already been made:

• We fly to Paris on Monday morning. (viewed as part of our itinerary)
• We’re flying to Paris on Monday morning. (viewed as our arrangement)

Intention, plan, arrangement and schedule: what’s the difference?

An intention, plan, arrangement and schedule can all refer to something in the future, but they describe different stages or ways of organising that future event. An intention is something you have decided you want to do; a plan has more detail about how or when you will do it; an arrangement is a plan that has been settled or organised; and a schedule is a fixed timetable or programme that determines when something happens. These differences help explain why English commonly uses different future forms in each case.

Free present tenses for the future worksheets