Future (Present continuous and be going to)

Future #1

Present continuous

I am watching The Office tonight.

Open Ended

What is the structure of the present continuous?

Tonight, I'm making pasta for dinner.

What are you doing this weekend?

Are you going to the party tonight?

I'm seeing the dentist tomorrow.

We can also use the Present Continuous to talk about our plans and arrangements for the future:

Jill and Susan are studying.

The dog is sleeping.

As we studied in Unit Two, the Present Continuous is used to describe things happening now:

Present continuous

Fill in the Blank

Complete the question with the verb in present continuous:

Tonight, she ______ (sing) in her first concert.

Fill in the Blank

Complete the question with the verb in present continuous:

We _____ (go) in our first trip together this weekend.

The use of the Present Continuous to talk about the future is very similar in meaning to be going to.

Be going to

Be Going To: Form

Positive & Negative Sentences

I	am (not)	going to	play soccer. do homework. eat dinner.
You We They	are (not)
He She It	is (not)

Yes/ No Questions

Am	I	going to	play soccer? do homework? eat dinner?
Are	You We They
Is	He She It

Short Answers

A: Are you going to play soccer?

B: Yes, I am or No, I'm not.

A: Is he going to do homework?

B: Yes, he is or No, he isn't.

Wh Questions

What When Where Who Why How ...	am	I	going to	base verb
	are	you we they
	is	he she it

Multiple Choice

What tense is this?

I'm going to Acapulco on Saturday.

• Present continuous

• Be going to

Fill in the Blank

Complete the sentence with be going to.

She _______ (fly) to NY.

Fill in the Blank

Complete the sentence with be going to.

We ______ (not host) a party tonight.

Like the Present Continuous, use be going to to talk about your plans for the future:

I'm going to play soccer.

We're going to see a movie tonight.

Joe's going to be here soon.

There is little difference in meaning between be going to and the Present Continuous when describing plans about the future. Both ways are okay:

​I'm going to go to a party tonight/I'm going to a party tonight.

​We are going to eat at a restaurant this evening./ We are eating at a restaurant this evening.

We also use be going to if we can see now that something is sure to happen in the future:

​ Stop driving so fast! You're going to crash!

​It's going to fall.

Multiple Choice

I can see a lot of gray clouds in the sky.  I think it … rain soon.

• is going to

• goes to

• going to

Questions!?

Now, let's practice.

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct present continuous form:

I _________ with my sister this weekend

• am staying

• staying

• am going to stay

Multiple Choice

He ______________ tomorrow because he is ill.

• isn't working

• aren't working

• am not working

• doesn't work

Multiple Choice

We ___________ in the swimming pool next Friday.

• are swimming

• is swimming

• am swimming

• swim

Multiple Choice

David __________________ (arrive) late tonight.

• is arriveing

• always arrives

• is arriving