FuturePlans
will / be going to / Present Continuous for future arrangements
Your level · You are here
Get Talking · Section 1
5 minStart the conversation
What are you doing tonight? (Use Present Continuous if it's already arranged.)
Name one thing you're going to do this year that needs real planning.
Your phone just died. What will you do? (Decide on the spot.)
Grammar · Section 2
8–10 minThree futures: will / be going to / Present Continuous
Deciding now? will. Already planned? going to. Already arranged? Present Continuous.
- English uses three main forms for the future, and they are not interchangeable.
- (1) WILL + infinitive — spontaneous decisions, offers, promises, predictions based on opinion: 'I'll get it.' / 'It'll rain later, I reckon.' (2) BE GOING TO + infinitive — prior intentions and predictions based on evidence: 'I'm going to start running again.' / 'Look at those clouds — it's going to pour.' (3) PRESENT CONTINUOUS — fixed arrangements with another person or a time/place: 'I'm meeting Sara at 7.' KEY DETAIL: use Present Continuous only when there's a real arrangement (calendar entry, ticket booked, person told).
- Don't use it for vague intentions.
- Spontaneous offers, promises, on-the-spot decisions → will.
- Intentions you've already decided on → going to.
- Fixed arrangements (booked, agreed with someone) → Present Continuous.
e.g. I'm meeting Sara at the station at 7.
| Form | Use | Typical signal |
|---|---|---|
| will | decided right now | OK, I'll do it. |
| going to | decided before now | I'm going to start… |
| Present Continuous | arrangement with time/person | I'm meeting Sam at 6. |
I'll grab that for you. (spontaneous offer)
I'm going to look for a new job next month. (prior intention)
I'm flying to Lisbon on Friday. (fixed arrangement — ticket booked)
Careful — you're going to drop it. (prediction with evidence)
I think she'll love it. (prediction / opinion)
Not this
I will start a new job next month.
Say this
I'm going to start a new job next month.
It's a prior intention, not a spontaneous decision — use going to.
Memory tip
Decide-now = will. Decide-before = going to. Diary entry = Present Continuous.
Natural English
Native speakers say 'I'll' (contraction) far more than 'I will' — full form sounds emphatic or formal.
Question 1.The phone's ringing. — 'I ___ get it.'
Question 2.I've decided. I ___ apply for that course.
Question 3.I ___ Sara at the airport at 8 — flight's booked.
Question 4.Look at the sky — it ___ rain.
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.
Quick check 1.Spontaneous offer:
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to learn
Plan to
to intend to do something
In context
"I plan to take a short course this summer."
Now try it yourself
Tell a partner one thing you plan to do this year.
Set a goal
to decide on a target
In context
"I set a small goal every Monday."
Now try it yourself
Set one small goal for this week and say it aloud.
Save up
to keep money for a future purpose
In context
"I'm saving up for a proper bike."
Now try it yourself
What are you saving up for, or what would you save up for?
Take up
to start a hobby or activity
In context
"I'd like to take up climbing."
Now try it yourself
Name something you'd like to take up.
Look into
to investigate / research
In context
"I'm looking into evening classes."
Now try it yourself
Something you're going to look into soon — say it.
Put off
to delay / postpone
In context
"I keep putting off the dentist."
Now try it yourself
Name one thing you've been putting off.
Stick to
to continue with despite difficulty
In context
"I'll try to stick to the plan this time."
Now try it yourself
Name a plan you want to stick to this month.
Go for it
to commit fully to a goal
In context
"If you want the job, just go for it."
Now try it yourself
Give a friend 'go for it' advice on a real situation.
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 minContractions and weak forms in future talk
Natural future talk is full of contractions and weak forms. 'I will' → 'I'll' /aɪl/. 'going to' → 'gonna' /ˈɡənə/ in casual speech (still write 'going to'). 'I am meeting' → 'I'm meeting' /aɪm/. Stress the content word, not the auxiliary: 'I'm MEEting Sara at SEven', not 'I AM meeting…'.
- • I'll GRAB it for you
- • I'm GONna LOOK for a new JOB
- • I'm MEETing Sara at SEven
- • It's GONna RAIN
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minThree calendars
Look at anyone's diary and you'll see the three futures of English in action. The first is the column of fixed arrangements — flights, meetings, dinners with friends. These already exist in the world; tickets are booked, people have been told. In English we describe them with the Present Continuous, because in a quiet way they are already happening: 'I'm flying to Lisbon on Friday.'
The second is the column of intentions. These are decisions you've already made, but haven't yet locked into a calendar. You're going to start running again. You're going to look for a new job after the summer. You're going to call your sister this weekend. Going to is the grammar of a decision that has already crossed your mind but hasn't yet crossed your diary.
The third is the column that doesn't exist on paper at all — it lives in the moment. A friend's bag is heavy and you offer to carry it. Your phone rings and you say you'll get it. The weather looks bad and you predict it'll clear up by lunch. These are the will sentences: spontaneous, conversational, often a single contracted syllable. 'I'll do it.' 'It'll be fine.'
Learners who use these three forms correctly sound noticeably more fluent — not because the grammar is showy, but because they're matching the form to the reality. Saying 'I will meet Sara at seven' when you mean a calendar entry is grammatical English but it isn't true English. The right form is 'I'm meeting Sara at seven', because that's how the future actually feels.
Question 1.According to the text, which form covers flights, meetings, and dinners that are already booked?
Question 2.What does the text say about the sentence 'I will meet Sara at seven' for a calendar entry?
Question 3.Why does the text say learners who use all three forms correctly sound 'noticeably more fluent'?
Question 4.What does the author imply by calling 'will sentences' the column that 'doesn't exist on paper at all'?
Q1.The text says 'I will meet Sara at seven' is the most natural way to describe a booked meeting.
Q2.The text describes 'going to' as the grammar of a decision already made.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minTwo friends comparing weekend plans
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Olivia:So, what are you up to this weekend?
Ben:I'm seeing my sister on Saturday — she's coming up from Bristol. Train's booked, hotel's booked, the lot. Then Sunday I've got nothing.
Olivia:Nice. I'm going to start running on Sunday, actually. I've been saying it for months.
Ben:Going to start, or actually starting?
Olivia:Going to. I haven't put it in the calendar yet. That's why it keeps not happening.
Ben:Right — put it in the calendar with a time and you've moved it into the 'I'm running at 8' column. That's when it becomes real.
Olivia:Fine, fine. I'm running at 8 on Sunday.
Ben:There you go. And if it rains?
Olivia:I'll go anyway. I'll just wear something waterproof.
Ben:Listen to you — three futures in one conversation.
Olivia:What do you mean?
Ben:You said 'I'm going to start' — intention. Then 'I'm running at 8' — arrangement. Then 'I'll go anyway' — spontaneous. That's basically the whole grammar lesson.
Olivia:Great. Can I have my Sunday back now?
Question 1.Why is Ben's Saturday plan described as 'I'm seeing my sister'?
Question 2.What does Olivia say is why her running plan 'keeps not happening'?
Question 3.What is Ben's point when he says putting a plan in the calendar 'is when it becomes real'?
Question 4.What does Ben reveal about Olivia by saying 'three futures in one conversation'?
Exam tip · Section 7
5 minSpeaking — Cambridge B1 Preliminary Part 2 / IELTS Part 1 (future plans)
Task
Talk for 60 seconds about your weekend using AT LEAST one of each: will, going to, Present Continuous.
Strategy
Examiners hear hundreds of 'I will study English' answers and switch off. Mix all three futures and you stand out as fluent. Use Present Continuous for anything actually booked, going to for real intentions, and will for the small spontaneous reactions inside the answer ('if it rains I'll just stay in').
Example
Well, on Saturday I'm meeting my cousin in town — we booked a restaurant last week. On Sunday I'm going to finally tidy my flat. And if the weather's nice I think I'll go for a walk in the afternoon.
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.Don't worry, I ___ help you with that.
Question 2.I ___ start a new course in October — I've signed up.
Question 3.We ___ Sara at the airport at six — flight lands at 5.45.
Question 4.Careful! You ___ spill it.
There isn't one "right" answer — write a natural version, then compare with the model.
Q1.Spontaneous offer to carry a heavy bag — start with 'I'
Q2.Tell a friend you intend to learn Spanish — use going to
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a short message (60–80 words) to a friend describing your weekend. Use will, going to, and Present Continuous at least once each.
Your answer
Your work saves automatically0 words
Show model answer
Hey! Pretty busy weekend coming up. I'm meeting Sara on Friday — we booked that new ramen place ages ago. Saturday I'm going to finally start on the garden, it's a disaster. If you're free Sunday afternoon I'll come over for a coffee — let me know. Hope your week's been OK!
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
Tell a partner about your next two weeks. Use Present Continuous for things in your diary, going to for intentions, will for any spontaneous offers or predictions that come up.
Useful phrases
- • I'm seeing… on…
- • I'm going to try to…
- • I'll probably…
- • If… , I'll…
- • I haven't decided yet — I might…
Speaking reflection & notes
Your work saves automatically0 words
- AWhat are you up to tonight?
- B_______________
- AOh, where?
- B_______________
- AThe trains are a mess tonight.
- B_______________
Homework · Section 11
Take-homeTake it home
Write three sentences about next week — one with will, one with going to, one with Present Continuous.
Record a 30-second voice note describing your weekend, mixing all three futures.
Find five 'will' / 'going to' / Present Continuous examples in a podcast or show.
Homework notes
Your work saves automatically0 words
Recap · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- Spontaneous decision / offer / promise → will.
- Prior intention → be going to.
- Fixed arrangement (booked, agreed) → Present Continuous.
- Contractions are the norm — 'I'll', 'I'm', 'we're'.