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CUU ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTER

Building Language Skills for Success

Chapter 3 - B1 English Grammar – Future Expressions: Plans, Predictions, and Promises – Ex 3

B1 learners must accurately use different future forms—will, be going to, Present Continuous, Future Continuous, and Future Perfect—to express spontaneous decisions, predictions, plans, arrangements, and completed future actions. This lesson clarifies the subtle but crucial differences between them.

The Five Future Forms

Will: instant decisions, promises, predictions without evidence (I’ll answer it! It will rain.)
Be going to: intentions, predictions with present evidence (I’m going to study. Look—the sky is dark! It’s going to rain.)
Present Continuous: fixed personal arrangements (I’m meeting Sarah at 5 p.m.)
Future Continuous: actions in progress at a future time (This time tomorrow, I’ll be flying.)
Future Perfect: actions completed before a future time (By next year, I’ll have graduated.)

Key tip: The difference between will and be going to often depends on when the decision was made.

Frequent B1 Errors to Avoid

❌ I will meet Sarah at 5 p.m. (if planned earlier) → ✅ I’m meeting Sarah at 5 p.m. (fixed arrangement)
❌ If it will rain, we’ll stay home. → ✅ If it rains, we’ll stay home. (No will in if-clauses for real conditionals)
❌ I’m going to buy a car tomorrow! (if just decided) → ✅ I’ll buy a car! (spontaneous decision)
❌ At 8 p.m., I will finish my homework. → ✅ At 8 p.m., I will be finishing my homework. (action in progress)

Time Words and Context

Will:
I think, probably, maybe, I promise

Be going to:
Look!, Listen!, I plan to, I intend to

Present Continuous:
tomorrow, next week, at 6 p.m., this weekend

Future Perfect:
by (next year, 6 p.m.), by the time, before

When to Use Each Future Form:

Instant Decision → Will

Plan or Evidence → Be Going To

Fixed Arrangement → Present Continuous

In Progress → Future Continuous

Completed by → Future Perfect

correct “I ’m flying to Paris next Monday.” (ticket booked)
incorrect “I will fly to Paris next Monday.” (implies sudden decision—unlikely for travel)

How This Quiz Works

20 questions randomly selected from a pool of 50
Tests identification and correct use of all five future forms
Hints guide you without giving the answer
Immediate feedback with specific explanations
Click “Check Answers” to see the full answer key
“Change Questions” gives you a new quiz