What tense do we use to talk about timetabled events?
The present simple. My plane leaves at 3pm.
What tense do we use to talk about firm arrangements, usually with a time reference?
The present continuous. I’m driving to Portugal to meet my husband later this month.
What tense do we use to talk about something we are (not) planning to do?
Be going to. I’m going to Mercadona after class.
What tense do we use when we decide (not) to do something while we are speaking or writing?
Will. I think I’ll have pizza tonight.
We use the ____________ for future events which are fixed in a timetable.
The present simple. The bus to Madrid leave at half past six.
We use the ____________ for future events which are going to take place at a fixed time.
The present simple. The concert starts at 8.00.
We use the ____________ for definite plans (usually with the time mentioned).
The present continuous. My husband is coming to Aranda for Carnival.
We use the ____________ for things we’ve already decided to do (usually with the time mentioned).
The present continuous. I’m sleeping in on Saturday.
We use ____________ for plans which have already been made ( this is similar to another structure).
Going to. My husband is going to fly to Aranda for Carnival. It is similar to the present continuous (definite plans).
We use ____________ for actions we decide to do as we speak.
Will. I’ll look online to see if Cumpanis restaurant is open today.
We’ve booked the tickets. We ’ll go /’re going to the Algarve in December.
’re going
You probably aren’t needing / won’t need much money when you go to Lisbon.
won’t need
You ’ll definitely see / definitely see skyscrapers in New York City.
’ll definitely see
I don’t meet / ’m not meeting my friends later. They’ve all gone to Burgos for the weekend.
’m not meeting
Our bus ’ll leave / leaves at 10 am tomorrow morning from outside our high school.
leaves
I’ve already decided. When we get to Cadiz, I ’ll swim / ’m going to swim in the sea even if it’s freezing.
’m going to swim
