Open World p 12. Future Forms. Extra Grammar

FUTURE TIME

Will

·         Predictions.

It looks as if Jake will lose his job.

In all probability, nothing much will change. 

Maybe they'll arrive a little later tonight.

I think it will rain.

I am sure you will pass your driving test
It'll probably be OK.

Perhaps it will snow tomorrow 

It is (more than) likely that the votes will have to be counted again.

There's little/not much prospect that this war will be over soon.

·         Future facts.

The factory will open in July.

·         Decisions made at the moment of speaking.

I know! I’ll ask for a pay rise tomorrow.

·         Offers at the time of speaking.

I’ll help you with the advertising campaign.

·         Promises.

I promise you you won’t lose your job.

Idon't have time today, but I can assure you I will finish it tomorrow.

·         Requests.

Will you give a presentation on the sales figures?

·         Refusals (won’t).

No, I won’t give a presentation on the sales figures.

Arrangements which have been made in some detail.

The tour will begin at 9.30 and all visitors to the site will need to wear good walking shoes.

For requests we can also use would, could or can. Would and could are more polite than will and can.
Would/Could/Can you give a presentation on the sales figures?

For refusals, we can also use couldn't or can't. Couldn't is more polite than won't and can't.
No, I couldn't/can't give a presentation on the sales figures.

 

Shall

We can use shall for the future, but only in the first person, after I or we.

I will be / I shall be on holiday in August.

We will know/ We shall know the results soon.

 

We use shall instead of will with I and we in rather formal contexts to make predictions and to talk about intentions or decisions. It is much less common than will.

We shall remember this day forever. 

 

Shall is used mostly in the questions shall I...? / shall we...?

For offers and suggestions in the question form, with I and we, we use shall not will. 

For offers we use  (Shall I/we...?)

For suggestions we use (Shall we...?)

It expresses the idea to the listener of Do you want to...? It asks somebody's opinion.

We also use shall to ask for suggestions or advice.

Shall I help you with the advertising campaign? (offer)
Shall we discuss this in the morning? (suggestion).

Shall we go and see that new movie? (suggestion).

I've got no money. What shall I do? (=What do you suggest?) 

What shall we have for lunch? (=What do you suggest?) 

 

We use shall we? in question tags after let's.

Let's forget about it now and talk about something else, shall we?

 

Shall: typical error

We use should, not shall, for advice and suggestions when it is not a question:

In my opinion, we should book another hotel.

Not: In my opinion, we shall book another hotel.

 

Shall as a modal can be used with all person subjects

We can use shall (or will) to express determination on the part of the speaker.

We lost a battle, but we shall never give up! 

I shall finish this if it kills me! 

You shall have whatever you want (=I promise that you will have...)

I shall never forget where I came from (= I promise that I will never...)

I shall take care of everything for you. (= I promise that I will...)

You shall be the first person to know. (= I promise that you will be the first person)

I shall get you a new bike for your birthday.

The enemy shall not pass (=we are determined not to let them pass)

 I said you could go, and so you shall

You shall apologize.  

You shall regret this.
They shall pay dearly.

 

Shall can be used for decisions made on the part of the speaker.

We propose/agree/have decided that each member of the club shall be asked to pay a subscription. (=be/ should be)

 

Shall can be used to emphasize that something will definitely happen.

The truth shall make you free. (predestination)

He shall become our next king. (predestination )
I'm afraid Mr. Smith shall become our new director. (inevitability)

Man shall explore the distant regions of the universe. 

 

 

Shall can also be used for orders and formal instructions with all the persons.

You shall/will all stay behind for thirty minutes and clean this room.

You shall not lie. (= You are commanded not to lie.)     

She shall obey my orders. (= She is commanded to obey my orders.)     

He shall go at once. (= He is commanded to go at once.)
This door shall be kept closed at all times.

A record shall be kept of all students arriving late to class (= school regulations) 

Students shall remain silent throughout the exam.

 

Be going to
Predictions based on present evidence.

Look at that wall. It looks as if it’s going to fall down.

Intentions and plans that have already been decided before we speak.

I’m going to get my degree, then get a well-paid job.

I'm going to have a staycation this summer (=I had already decided this before I said it)

Present continuous

·         Fixed plans or arrangements, especially social and travel arrangements. It generally indicates that something has been agreed with someone else.

I’m meeting Fiona on Friday to discuss.

·         Intentions.

I’m asking for a pay rise tomorrow.

WATCH OUT!

Both be going to and present continuous can be used for intentions. However, present continuous is not usually used for intentions in the distant future.

I’m going to work for a really successful company one day. 
(Not: I’m working for a huge multinational one day)

Present simple
Fixed future events (e.g. timetables and schedules). A scheduled or arranged event at a known time in the future.

The shop closes at 3 pm next Saturday.

My flight leaves at 11.30 this morning. 

The university term starts at the beginning of October.

Future perfect simple

·         Completed situations before a certain time.

It looks as if Jake will have lost his job by the end of the week.

·         Continuing situations up to a certain time.

This time next month, I’ll have worked at the company for exactly 25 years.

Future perfect continuous

·         Continuing situations up to a certain time (emphasises duration).

This time next month, I’ll have been working at the company for exactly 25 years.

Future continuous

·         Situations in progress at a certain time in the future.

This time next week, I’ll be travelling round Russia on business.

·         Situations which will happen in the future in the normal course of events.

The company Chairperson will be arriving on Thursday.

·         Habits or repeated actions at a point in the future

I think that, in the future, more and more people will be commuting to work by plane.

To appear very polite 

Will you be needing anything to drink, Sir?

Time clauses

After many time words and phrases, such as when, while, once, as soon as, etc., we do not use will or be going to. We use:

·         Present simple

I’ll give you a pay rise when you start working harder!

·         Present continuous

I’ll give you a pay rise once you’re bringing in three new customers a week.

·         Present perfect simple

I’ll give you a pay rise as soon as you’ve proved you’re a hard worker.

·         Present perfect continuous

I won’t give you a pay rise until you’ve been working here for three years.

Other ways to express the future

to be (just) about to (used for the (very) near future)

I'm just about to ask for my pay rise.
 

to be (just) on the point/verge of + gerund/noun (used for the (very) near future)

I'm just on the point/verge of asking for my pay rise.  

These measures brought the country to the verge of economic collapse.

 
to be on the brink of + gerund/noun. 

On the brink of collapse/war/death/disaster.  

Scientists are on the brink of making a major new discovery

 

to be bound/certain/likely/unlikely to (to express certainty/possibility)  

It's bound to be sunny again tomorrow.  

They are certain to agree.

We use the continuous phrases be planning to do something, be aiming to do something, be thinking of doing something to talk about plans.

Kevin is planning to walk across America

He's aiming to do it in less than 100 days

I am thinking of taking up French 

 

Have the intention to

You come here with the intention of having a great experience.

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Be due to + infinitive

I’m due to meet my boss at eleven o’clock (for formal arrangements)

Rose is due to start school in January (it is expected)
 

Modals to express certainty, possibility, etc.

I might ask for a pay rise tomorrow.

 

Be to + infinitive

We use be to + infinitive when discussing formal or official arrangements or to give formal instructions or orders. 

You’re to get those reports written before Friday! (for orders)

The Prime Minister is to make a further visit to Devon next week.


We are to receive a pay rise in line with inflation in September.


I don't mind her going to Ruth's party but she's not to be back late.


You are not to leave this house without my permission. Is that clear?  

The be to + infinitive structure is also frequently used in newspaper, radio and television reports to refer to future events. It expresses near certainty that what is forecast will happen. Study the following:
 

The factory is to open in July. (for formal announcements)

A man is to appear in court later this morning charged with the murder of the footballer, Darren Gough.


The Ministry of Trade and Industry has announced that it is to move three thousand jobs out of the capital and re-locate them in the North East.


Work is to begin this week on the new bridge across the Nile north of Aswan.

We often use be to + infinitive in the if-clause in conditional sentences when talking about preconditions for something to happen. Study the following:


If we are to catch that train, we shall have to leave now.


If I were to increase my offer from five hundred to five hundred and fifty pounds, would you be interested in selling me your car then?


If we are to solve the world's pollution problems, we must address environmental issues now.

Be to + passive infinitive is often used when giving instructions. It is noticeable always on medicine bottles and can be seen on other official notices too:


To be taken three times a day after meals.


These benches are not to be removed from the changing rooms.


No food of any kind is to be taken into the examination room.
 

Note that although this structure is used to talk about current and future arrangements and events, it is configurated in present and past tenses - see the above examples. However, be to + perfect infinitive is sometimes used to show that a planned event did not materialise:


He was to have appeared in the West End show but broke his collar bone during rehearsals.


They were to have picked strawberries this morning, but the torrential overnight rain made the field too muddy.


Sammy was to have married Sarah but then Jamie came along and the engagement ring he had given her was returned.

 

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