THE FUTURE TENSE

E X E R C I S E S

1. Which form do you feel is best? Will or be going to?

1) Alice will have/is going to have a baby.2) With a bit of luck the baby will have/is going to have Alice’s eyes.3) I will play/am going to play tennis with Stan on Sunday.4) He’ll win/he’s going to win. He always does.5) Don’t tell her. She will tell/is going to tell everybody else.6) What’s happening? The train won’t stop/isn’t going to stop!7) One day everybody will have/is going to have proper housing.8) She’ll get married/She’s getting married on Friday at the local

church.9) It will rain/ It is going to rain. Look at those clouds.10) If it gets any colder, it will snow/it’s going to snow.11) When does/will school start?12) The plane arrives/will arrive at 10.0013) I write/will write soon.14) We go/are going to Spain some time soon.15) You go/will go next door for the tickers.16) I stop/will stop smoking after Christmas.17) How do/will I switch this on?18) The exams are/will be in June.19) I have/will have a lecture at 9.00 tomorrow.20) The train won’t/doesn’t stop at Oxford.21) I come/will come round after 7.0022) Where do/will I go for my interview?23) I play/am playing football tomorrow.24) What time does/will the concert end?25) I post/will post your letters.

2. Fill in the verbs in brackets in the Future Perfect and Future Continuous.

1. It……………………...when I reach a Bangkok. ( to rain)2. Anne………………….her bike next week. (to repair)3. Tomorrow at nine I..……………………....a test. (to write)4. We……………………………………..…..the washing by 8 o’clock. (to do)5. Paddy…………………………………….to the party on Saturday. (to come)6. She...........................................................Paris by the end of next year. (to visit)7. I…………………………………….....this by 6 o’clock. (to finish)8. We…………………………………………....him tomorrow. (to meet)9. This time next week he…………………………………......to South Africa. (to fly)10. Sam……………………………………………….….by next week. (to leave)

THE FUTURE TENSE

11. She……………………………………….....this with her mother tonight. (to discuss)12. At 6 o’clock on Friday they………………………………….....the new song. (to sing)13. The police……………………………………………....to driver. (to arrest)14. They…………………………………………......their essay by tomorrow. (to write)15. You…………………………………………….…pizza soon. (to eat)16. Paolo.................................................................the teams. (to manage)17. Amy………………………………………...a video when I arrive tonight. (to watch)18. She..…………………………………………..when you telephone her. (to sleep)19. If we can do that – then we…………………………………......our mission. (to fulfil)20. They………………………………………….....in Budapest just about now. (to arrive)21. At 3 I have a short meeting with Jane. I .................................................by 4. (to finish)22. ..................................................... for me when I get off the plane? (to wait)23. Call me after 3. I ...................................................................home by then. (to come)24. Don't call me between 8 and 9. I .........................................my favourite soap opera. (to watch)25. I promise that when you ……………………….. tomorrow morning, the sun …………………........ (to shine)26. I'm going on holiday. This time next week, I ..................................................on the beach. (to lie)27. I think she ............................................. cleaning before I............................................... home. (to finish, to get)28. We're late. The film ...............................................by the time we …………………......to the cinema. (to start, to get)29. We'll wait for Jane to arrive and then we ................................................dinner. (to have)30. Everyone .................................................. when Tom ...................................... at his surprise party. (to hide, to arrive)

3. Use FUTURE PERFECT TENSE:

1. By next February I ……………………………………………… (write) my third book.2. I hope you ……………………………………………. (not / forget) my name by to-

morrow.3. By next week we …………………………………………….. (redecorate) the house.4. Next July she …………………………………………… (be) dead for ten years.5. I hope I ……………………………………………… (not / make) a lot of mistakes in

this exam when I finish it.6. By the end of this year I ………………………………………… (drive) more than one

hundred thousand kilometers with this car.7. I hope it ……………………………………………. (stop) raining before the match

starts.8. I ……………………………………………. (have) an operation when you turn back.9. By this time next week I …………………………………………………. (marry).10. If nothing is done one million species that are alive today

………………………………… (become) extinct in twenty years.11. The tropical rain forests ……………………………………………. (disappear) in

thirty years.

THE FUTURE TENSE

4. Fill in the blanks using FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE:

1. By the end of June I ……………………………………………….. (live) in this flat for thirteen years.

2. I ……………………………………………… (fly) to London for an hour at this time tomorrow.

3. At this time next week I …………………………………………………. (work) for this company for 20 years.

4. When the bell rings I ……………………………………………… (teach) for eight hours today.

5. I …………………………………………………… (wear) these glasses for five years next week.

6. I ………………………………………………… (drive) this car for six years tomor-row.

7. At this time tomorrow I ……………………………………………….. (take) a test for an hour.

8. At this time next year I …………………………………………….. (have) a holiday in Antalya for a week.

9. At this time next year I …………………………………………….(live) in Istanbul for ten years.

10. By the time we get home they ……………………………………………….. (play) football for half an hour.

11. She …………………………………………. (dance) for an hour at nine o’clock.12. I ………………………………………….. (learn) English for ten years by the end of

this year.

5. Future in the Past

A) Join each idea in A with an idea from B. Make sentences using WAS / WERE GO-ING TO and the verbs in brackets. A B 1. I (take) a taxi home last night, a) but it rained all afternoon, so we stayed at home. 2. We (write) to them when we were b) but my boss offered me more money, on holiday, so I decided to stay. 3. She (drive) to Scotland last weekend, c) but I didn’t have enough money, so I had to walk. 4. We (play) tennis yesterday afternoon, d) but she had seen it before, so she went to bed early. 5. She (watch) the film on TV last night, e) but her car broke down, so she went by train.

THE FUTURE TENSE

6. I (change) my job last year. f) but we changed our minds and phoned them instead.

1. ..I was going to take a taxi home last night, but I didn’t have enough money, so I had to walk…

2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………..

3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………..

4. ……………………………………………………………………………………………..

5. ……………………………………………………………………………………………..

6. ……………………………………………………………………………………………..

B) Complete the sentences. Use WAS / WERE GOING TO and these verbs: drive / get / go pick / see:

1. The train left just as Harold …………………………………………….. on it.2. The shop closed as I ………………………………………………… in it.3. The phone stopped ringing just as I …………………………………………… it up.4. We went to the cinema, where we …………………………………………….. a film

about the Mafia, but it was so popular we couldn’t get in.5. Bob had trouble parking. A car took the last place in the car park just when he

…………………………………….. into it.

C) Use WAS / WERE GOING TO:

1. Did you travel by train?No, I was going to travel by train but I changed my mind…………………………….

2. Did you buy that jacket you saw in the shop window?No, I …………………………………………………………. but I changed my mind.

3. Did Sue get married?No, she ……………………………………………. but she ………………………….. .

4. Did Wayne and Sharon go to Greece for their holidays?No, ……………………………………………………………………………………….

5. Did you play tennis yesterday?No, ……………………………………………………………………………………….

6. Did you invite Ann to the party?No, ……………………………………………………………………………………….