In inglese, IL FUTURO si può esprimere in tre diversi modi:

PRESENT CONTINUOUS (verbo to be + verb-ing)

Positive Negative Questions Short Answers
I’m (am) working I’m not working Am I working? Yes, I am.
No, I’m not.
you / we / they’re you / we / they aren’t Are you / we /they / Yes, you / we / they / are.
(are) working working working? No, you / we /they / aren’t.
Yes, he / she / it is.
he / she / it’s (is) he / she / it isn’t Is he / she / it No, he / she / it isn’t.
working working working?

Il present continuous si usa per esprimere un’azione che abbiamo pianificato nel futuro:

ex. I’m meeting the bank manager tomorrow.

Domani vedo il direttore della banca (ho preso appuntamento).

ex. We’re spending our holiday on a farm.

Trascorreremo le vacanze in una fattoria (è quanto ho programmato di fare).

BE GOING TO (+forma base del verbo)

Positive Negative Questions Short Answers

I’m (am) going to I’m not going to Am I going to Yes, I am.
change change change? No, I’m not.

you / we / they’re you / we / they aren’t Are you / we /they / Yes, you / we / they / are.
(are) going to change going to change going to change? No, you / we /they / aren’t.

he / she / it’s (is) he / she / it isn’t Is he / she / it going Yes, he / she / it is.
going to change going to change to change? No, he / she / it isn’t.

Usiamo be going to per esprimere:

a) intenzioni nel futuro

ex. I’m going to eat more fruit and vegetables.

Mangerò più frutta e verdura (è una mia intenzione/proposito per il futuro).

b) previsioni future basate su un’evidenza (qualcosa che possiamo vedere/sapere)

ex. There are black clouds in the sky. It’s going to rain.
Ci sono nuvole nere in cielo. Pioverà. (Prevedo che pioverà vedendo le nuvole nere)

ex. Susan never studies. She isn’t going to get good results this year.
Susan non studia mai. Non prenderà buoni voti quest’anno.

WILL/WON’T (+ forma base del verbo)

Positive Negative Questions Short Answers
I / you / we / they / he I / you / we / they / he WILL I / you / we
Yes, I / you / we / they / he
/ she / it WILL come / she / it WON’T (will / they / he / she /
/ she / it WILL .
not) come it come? No, I / you / we / they / he
/ she / it WON’T (will not)
NB: Will è un verbo modale (come can, must, ecc.) e non prende la –s alla terza persona del present
simple.

Usiamo will (‘ll) o won’t (will not) per:

a) fare previsioni future basate su ciò che penso, spero, ecc.

ex. I’m sure I’ll pass the exam.

Sono certa che passerò l’esame (è questo che io prevedo).

1
 b) esprimere una cosiddetta on the spot decision, ovvero una decisione presa nel momento stesso
in cui la esprimo (in italiano usiamo invece il presente indicativo):

ex.: How stupid! I forgot to post the letters! I’ll post them tomorrow.
ex.: A: Mum, I’m hungry. B: I’ll make a sandwich for you right now.
ex.: At the restaurant: A: Are you ready to order, Madam? B: Yes. I’ll have a steak and some salad,
please.

c) fare promesse, offerte, richieste gentili

Con will/won’t generalmente usiamo le seguenti espressioni:

I think / I don’t think ( = io penso / non penso) Probably ( = probabilmente)

I doubt (= dubito) Maybe ( = forse)
I’m sure ( = sono sicuro) I hope (= spero)
I’m afraid ( = temo) ……

Con il present continuous e con be going to usiamo spesso le seguenti time expressions:

tomorrow tomorrow night next week next Sunday

the day after tomorrow the week after next in three hours’ time …….

Complete the sentences with the present continuous form of the verbs.

1) ……………………… they ……………………… (visit) Milan next week?

2) Ann and Maria ………………………………………… (have) a party next Saturday.
3) John ………………………………………………… (not play) in the football match next Sunday.
4) Beth ………………………………………………… (take) her English test the day after tomorrow.
5) We ……………………………………… (fly) to Barcelona and we ………………………………… (travel) ten days
around Spain.

Complete the sentences with the future form (not) be going to.

1) Ann didn’t study for her exam. She …………………………………………………………(not pass) it.
2) John is eating too much chocolates. He ………………………………………………………(be) sick (=star male).
3) I’ve made some important resolutions: I ……………………………………………………(stop) eating fatty food, I
………………………………………………(be) more healthy, I ……………………………………………(run) at least 30
minutes a day and I ……………………………………………………(study) more!
4) At New Years’ Eve people think about the changes they ……………………………………………(make) in the
new year.
5) Susan ………………………………………………………(not watch) TV tonight. All the programs are so boring.
6) …………………………… you ……………………………………………(wear) your new jacket at the party tonight?
7) There’s a party next Friday night. We ……………………………………………… (dance) all night.
8) Susan ……………………………………………………(visit) her grandparents at the weekend.

Complete the sentences with the future form will/won’t.

1) A: ……………………… you …………………… (live) abroad when you’re older?

B: I ……………………… probably …………………………… (travel) for a few years but I’m not sure if (=se) I
……………………………………… (live) abroad for a long time.
A: Where …………………… you …………………………………… (travel) to?
B: I think I ………………………………… (go) to New Zealand and Australia and then maybe I ……………………
(find) a job in Japan.
2) I think Ann …………………………………… (go) by bus to Valencia.
3) A: …………………………… Susan ………………………… (travel) by plane? B: No, she …………………………
4) A: ………………………… you ………………………… (be) home late tonight? B: I ……………………… (not be) home
until 8.00 p.m.
5) I’m afraid I ………………………………… (not pass) the Maths test.