Basic Future Forms

Perhaps, I got a bit ahead of myself in the previous entry. I guess I should get back to basics and talk about simple future forms. As you already know, there are various ways to talk about the future. And depending on the situation, we use one way or another.

For spontaneous decisions or promises, we use will:

I'm hot. I'll open the window.

(You have decided to open the window at this moment.).

Okay, okay, I’ll help you plan the surprise party.

(You promised to help me plan the party later.)

For future plans,  we can use the present continuous or be going to in the same way:

I'm traveling to Mexico in August. = I'm going to travel to Mexico in August.

(You have already planned to go to Mexico next summer.)

WARNING: You can’t always use present continuous for future plans:

I'm writing my friend. (now) 

Unless you have a future reference:

I’m writing my friend tonight. (in the future)

For predictions, in general, we use will. But we can use be going to when a future event seems very obvious. For example:

It's a close race but I think Obama will win the election.

Look at those dark clouds, it's going to rain.

(The two sentences above are predictions but the second one seems more obvious or certain, due to the circumstances.)

Liverpool will win the game.

Liverpool is going to win the game.

(Once again, the two sentences above are predictions, but the second one has a stronger, more confident tone.)

For timetables, which are similar to habitual actions because they are set events that don’t usually change, we use the present simple: 

What time does the movie start?

The movie shows at 5, 7 and 9 o’clock.

Now that you know these future forms, you won't have any more problems in the future!