FuturePlans
will · be going to · Present Continuous for arrangements
Your level · You are here
Get Talking · Section 1
5 minStart the conversation
Tell your teacher one thing you're DEFINITELY doing this weekend (already arranged) and one thing you're GOING TO do (intention, not arranged yet).
Name one plan for the next year you're 90% sure of, and one you're only 50% sure of. How would your wording change?
Your teacher says: 'The Wi-Fi just died.' Respond instinctively with 'I'll…'. Notice you used WILL, not 'be going to'. Why?
Grammar · Section 2
8–10 minwill vs be going to vs Present Continuous
- Three forms, three uses — natives switch between them in the same conversation.
- (1) WILL + infinitive — decisions made AT THE MOMENT of speaking ('The phone's ringing — I'll get it'), predictions based on opinion ('I think she'll win'), promises/offers ('I'll help you').
- (2) BE GOING TO + infinitive — intentions decided BEFORE speaking ('I'm going to start the gym in January' — you've thought about it), predictions based on EVIDENCE you can see ('Look at those clouds — it's going to rain').
- (3) PRESENT CONTINUOUS — fixed arrangements with a time/place AND another person ('I'm meeting Sarah at 7 tomorrow' — diary entry, both people know).
- The classic test: if there's a confirmed time AND someone else involved, use Present Continuous.
- If it's just your intention with no fixed plan yet, use 'be going to'.
- If you decided this second, use 'will'.
Hold on — I'll grab a pen. (decided right now)
I'm going to learn to drive this year. (intention, no booking yet)
I'm having lunch with my sister at one. (fixed arrangement)
Look at the sky — it's going to pour. (evidence)
I reckon Spain will win. (opinion-based prediction)
Question 1.'The doorbell's ringing.' Most natural reply:
Question 2.'I ___ Tom at the station at 6. We arranged it last week.' Best form:
Question 3.'Look at those black clouds — it ___ rain.' Best form:
Question 4.'I've decided. I ___ quit my job in March.' Best form:
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
4.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Quick check 1.Which signals a FIXED arrangement with another person?
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to learn
Plan to + infinitive
intend to do
In context
"I'm planning to apply for a Master's next autumn."
Now try it yourself
Tell your teacher one thing you plan to do in the next six months.
Be thinking of + -ing
considering, not decided
In context
"I'm thinking of moving to Lisbon — nothing booked yet."
Now try it yourself
Name one thing you're thinking of doing but haven't committed to.
Set a goal
define a target you'll work toward
In context
"I've set myself a goal of running 10k by June."
Now try it yourself
Set one realistic goal aloud for the next three months.
Look forward to + -ing
feel excited about something coming up
In context
"I'm really looking forward to seeing my family in July."
Now try it yourself
Name one thing you're genuinely looking forward to.
Up in the air
not yet decided / uncertain
In context
"Summer plans are still up in the air — depends on work."
Now try it yourself
Tell your teacher about one plan that's still up in the air.
Pencil something in
schedule provisionally, may change
In context
"Let's pencil in Thursday — I'll confirm Monday."
Now try it yourself
Pencil in something with your teacher for a hypothetical next session.
Have something in mind
have a specific idea
In context
"I want a new job — I've got something specific in mind."
Now try it yourself
Describe something you've got in mind for this year.
Get round to + -ing
finally do a thing you've delayed
In context
"I keep meaning to fix the bike — I'll get round to it Sunday."
Now try it yourself
Name one thing you really need to get round to soon.
Pick at least three words from above and use each one in a sentence about your real life. Say each one aloud before you write.
Ask your teacher (or a partner) a question that uses one of today's words. They reply using a different word.
Rank today's words from most to least useful for you this week. Defend your top choice.
Finish: "Honestly, I'd say…" using one of today's words.
Tip: aim to reuse at least two of these words later in the Speaking and Writing tasks.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 min'going to' → /ˈɡənə/ (gonna) and 'will' → contracted 'll
In natural speech 'going to' before a verb becomes /ˈɡənə/ — 'I'm gonna call her' is normal British speech, not slang. NOTE: it stays 'going to' before a destination ('I'm going to Paris', NEVER 'gonna Paris'). 'Will' contracts to 'll on pronouns ('I'll', 'she'll', 'we'll') — using full 'will' in spontaneous speech sounds robotic or formal. Stress lands on the main verb, not the auxiliary: 'I'll CALL you' / 'I'm gonna QUIT'.
- • I'll CALL you back↘
- • I'm /ˈɡənə/ START the gym↘
- • We're MEETING at SIX↘
- • It's /ˈɡənə/ RAIN — look at those CLOUDS↘
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minWhy most New Year plans collapse — and what works instead
Most people make plans the same way: they wait for January, write a long list of ambitious goals, and start everything on the 1st. By February, almost all of those plans have quietly collapsed.
The research on goal-setting is unkind to this approach. Long lists with vague wording — 'get fit', 'read more', 'save money' — fail because the brain can't act on them. 'I'm going to read more' is an intention; 'I'm reading 20 pages every weekday between 7 and 7:30 in the kitchen' is a plan. The second one survives contact with real life. The first one doesn't.
There's also a timing trap. Starting five new habits on the same Monday means you're spending willpower on five fronts at once. People who stagger — one habit a month, locked in before the next is added — finish the year with three or four real changes. People who launch everything at once usually finish with none.
Finally, plans need a fallback. The question isn't 'what will I do?' but 'what will I do on the day it goes wrong?' If you've already decided that a missed gym session means a 20-minute walk instead of a write-off, the habit survives. If you haven't, one bad day ends it.
The people who actually change things in their lives are not the most motivated. They're the ones who plan in specifics, stagger their starts, and decide in advance what they'll do when life pushes back.
Question 1.What example does the text give to contrast a vague intention with a specific plan?
Question 2.What does the text say you should decide in advance to keep a habit alive?
Question 3.What does the writer mean when describing the 'timing trap' of launching everything on the same Monday?
Question 4.What is the writer's implicit message about motivation?
Q1.According to the text, successful changers rely on motivation.
Q2.Deciding in advance what to do on a bad day helps a habit survive.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minTwo friends comparing plans for the coming year
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Mei:Right — proper plans for next year. What have you actually decided?
Tom:I'm going to apply for the part-time Master's. I haven't sent the application yet but I've decided, the deadline's March.
Mei:Oh that's huge. So you're definitely going for it, just not started yet?
Tom:Exactly. What about you — Lisbon still on the table?
Mei:Honestly, up in the air. I'm thinking of going for six months but nothing's booked. If a job comes through I'll commit. If not, I'll probably stay another year.
Tom:Fair. Anything that's actually in the diary?
Mei:Yeah — I'm running the half marathon in April. Number's confirmed, training plan starts Monday. That one I can't dodge.
Tom:Nice. I'm doing the 10k in May — let's pencil in a long run together at the weekend?
Mei:Pencil it in for Sunday at nine. I'll text you Saturday to confirm.
Tom:Perfect. One more thing — I keep saying I'll learn Spanish properly and never getting round to it. This year I'm just going to book lessons. No more 'I'll start in summer'.
Mei:That's the move. Vague plans die. Booked ones don't.
Tom:Famous last words. Ask me in March.
Question 1.Which of Mei's plans is a confirmed, fixed arrangement?
Question 2.Why has Tom never got round to learning Spanish properly?
Question 3.What does Mei imply by saying 'vague plans die. Booked ones don't'?
Question 4.Why does Tom end with 'Famous last words. Ask me in March'?
Exam tip · Section 7
5 minSpeaking — Cambridge B1 Preliminary Part 3 / FCE Part 2 (extended turn on future plans)
Task
Speak for 1–2 minutes answering: 'Tell me about your plans for the next year — personal, work or study.' Use all three future forms (will / be going to / Present Continuous) at least once each, plus 4 lesson vocabulary items.
Strategy
Examiners reward range and accuracy across future forms. Structure: (1) Start with what's FIXED ('In April I'm running…' — Present Continuous). (2) Move to INTENTIONS ('I'm going to apply for…' — be going to). (3) Add UNCERTAIN/SPONTANEOUS bits ('If I get the job I'll move…' — will). Use hedging vocab ('up in the air', 'thinking of') to show you understand the difference between a confirmed plan and an intention. Avoid 'I will…' for everything — it's the surest way to lose marks.
Example
Three things for me. First, the one that's actually booked — I'm running the half marathon in April. Number's confirmed, training plan starts Monday, I can't dodge it. Second, on the work side, I'm going to apply for a part-time Master's. I haven't sent the application yet but I've decided — the deadline's March. And third, the one that's still up in the air — I'm thinking of moving to Lisbon for six months, but it depends on a job. If it comes through I'll go. If not, I'll stay here and just focus on the Master's. Honestly, the lesson from last year is: the things in the diary happen. Vague plans die.
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.Hold on — I ____ grab a pen.
Question 2.I ____ meet Sarah at seven tomorrow. (fixed arrangement)
Question 3.Look at those clouds — it ____ rain.
Question 4.I'm ____ of moving to Lisbon — nothing booked yet.
Question 5.Let's ____ Thursday in — I'll confirm Monday.
There isn't one "right" answer — write a natural version, then compare with the model.
Q1.Describe a fixed arrangement using Present Continuous.
Q2.Describe a personal intention using 'be going to'.
Q3.Give a spontaneous offer using 'will'.
Q4.Describe a plan that's not yet decided.
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 130–160 word email to a friend describing your plans for the next six months. Include at least one FIXED arrangement (Present Continuous), one INTENTION (be going to), one SPONTANEOUS offer or prediction (will), and 5 lesson vocabulary items. Make at least one plan honestly uncertain.
Your answer
Your work saves automatically0 words
Show model answer
Hi Sam, quick update on the next six months. The one thing that's actually in the diary — I'm running the half marathon in April. Training starts Monday and the number's confirmed, so there's no escape. On the work side, I'm going to apply for the part-time Master's I've been talking about for two years. Deadline's March and I've finally got something specific in mind. Lisbon for the summer is still up in the air — I'm thinking of going for six months but it depends on whether a job comes through. If it does, I'll commit; if not, I'll stay and focus on the course. Otherwise, I keep saying I'll learn Spanish properly and never getting round to it, so this year I'm just going to book lessons. Let's pencil in dinner before you travel — I'll text you next week to confirm. Speak soon, J
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
Role-play with your teacher (or a partner): you're catching up after six months and sharing plans for the rest of the year. Use all three future forms naturally — fixed arrangements, intentions, and spontaneous decisions — plus 5 lesson vocabulary items. End by pencilling in one specific shared plan with a date and time.
Useful phrases
- • The one that's actually in the diary is…
- • I've decided — I'm going to…
- • Honestly, it's still up in the air.
- • Let's pencil in… — I'll confirm…
- • I keep saying I'll… and never getting round to it.
Speaking reflection & notes
Your work saves automatically0 words
- ASo what's actually confirmed for next year?
- B_______________
- AAnd the Master's — have you applied yet?
- B_______________
- AWhat about Lisbon — still happening?
- B_______________
Homework · Section 11
Take-homeTake it home
Write a 150-word 'next six months' plan using all three future forms, marking each one (W/GT/PC) in brackets.
Record a 90-second voice note describing one fixed plan, one intention, and one thing still up in the air.
Listen to a 3-minute podcast clip about goal-setting. Note 5 future-form examples and which form is used.
Homework notes
Your work saves automatically0 words
Recap · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- WILL = decisions made now, predictions from opinion, offers/promises.
- BE GOING TO = intentions decided before, predictions from evidence.
- PRESENT CONTINUOUS = fixed arrangements with time + person.
- Don't translate from L1 — choose the form for the reason.
- Specific plans survive contact with real life; vague intentions don't.