The Communicative Grammar of English Workbook - Edward Woods, Rudy Coppieters 2002

5.9. Future time 1
Unit five. Time, tense and aspect

Sections 140-146

There are five chief ways of expressing future time in the English verb phrase:

(i) will/shall + infinitive: neutral future of prediction (often element of intention with personal subjects)

(ii) be going to + infinitive: future resulting from present intention or from present cause

(iii) progressive aspect: future event arising from a present plan, programme or arrangement

(iv) simple present tense:

- future in adverbial clauses (of time and condition) and after hope, assume, etc.

- future event in main clauses which is seen as absolutely certain

(v) will/shall + progressive aspect:

- future + temporary meaning

- future event which will take place ’as a matter of course’.

Some less common ways of expressing the future: be to + infinitive, be about to + infinitive, be on the point of + -ing form.

Task one *

Identify the verb phrases referring to future time, specifying which of the above types of future meaning is involved.

1. Alan tried to start the car and failed as she had failed. (...) Alan got out of the car.

“It’s not going to start,” he said. “I’ll drive you home and we’ll phone someone to see to your car.” (from Barbara Vine, The Brimstone Wedding, p. 283)

2. Her mother accepted the lie. She said:

“I shall be an embarrassing flat mate. How will you explain me to your friends?”

“We shan’t be seeing my friends. If we do run into them, I shall explain that you’re my mother.” (from P.D. James, Innocent Blood, p. 85)

3. It’s ten o’clock on a Friday morning, and Helen is about to celebrate her seventeenth wedding anniversary with a visit to the hairdresser’s. She and Daniel will, as usual, be going out tonight and she wants to look her best.

4. Sagittarius: Encouraging news will reach you soon but not before you’ve been through a period of anxious anticipation. Don’t over-react to this week’s drama and it will soon pass.

5. “Penny and I have lived with my parents since the divorce,” she said. “I left her with them this week as it was half-term but she’s starting at the village school tomorrow.”

Again I nodded. “What will she do when school finishes?”

Marietta smiled. “Mrs Jones in the village has offered to look after her.

I finish work at five, so we’re well organized.”

(3-4-5: from various issues of Woman’s Weekly)

Task two **

Complete the following sentences using the most appropriate form to express the future.

1. Our neighbours’ silver wedding anniversary (be) ... on 1 April.

2. (you stay) ... here for another day, sir?

3. If Barbara (not take) ... her pills, she (get) ... very ill.

4. I’ve had far too much whisky, I (throw up) ... .

5. I (see) ... a specialist tomorrow to discuss my backache.

6. The Joneses (cruise) ... in the Mediterranean this time next week.

7. We (win) ... this election: we are already 7 per cent ahead in the polls.

8. The conference (begin) ... at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

9. (you buy) ... a new video recorder after all?

10. We (leave) ... for the States in a few hours and (probably return) ... at the end of summer.

11. I hope this war (not last) ... too long, otherwise it (take) ... ages to rebuild the country.

12. Stay away from that landmine! It (blow up) ...!

13. Dan and Ruth (come) ... over for Christmas Eve, so we (be) ... able to tell them the great news at last.

14. When the ship (enter) ... the harbour, you (see) ... the old customs house on your left.

15. Politicians (complain) ... about the low turn-out again but they only have themselves to blame for it.

Task three **

Use an appropriate form of the verb in brackets to refer to future time in the following dialogue.

Sue: Hello! Is that you, Pat? It’s just to tell you that we’ve packed all our stuff and Randy and I (leave) ... for the

airport. The taxi we called (be) ... here any minute now. Our plane (take off) ... at 10.30, so there’s not much time left.

Pat: Where (spend) ... your holidays? I hope you (not get) ... as much rain as you did last year.

Sue: Oh, no chance of that at all! We (fly) ... to Crete this time, so we (get) ... plenty of sunshine, I’m sure.

Pat: (you lie) ... on the beach all day or have you got other plans?

Oh, no, we both hate crowded beaches, and Randy is an art historian, so we (tour) ... the island instead and we

Sue: (definitely visit) ... the main archaeological sites. Of course, I expect we (also go) ... for a swim in the evening now and then.

Pat: Well, you (enjoy) ... yourselves again, you lucky people. Anyway, have a safe trip and do send me a card or you (never get) ... one from me when I (go) ... on holiday.