Do you know how to talk about future plans using will, going to, and the present continuous? Enhance your knowledge with a lesson given below and the grammar explanation to guide you better.

Check out these examples to see how will, going to, and the present continuous are used:

• Awesome! The concert has been rescheduled. I'll catch up on my reading instead.

• I'm going to start learning Spanish next month.

• The movie starts at 7. We're meeting for dinner at The Grill beforehand.

Grammar explanation - Future forms: 'will', 'be going to' and present continuous

We use different verb forms to talk about future plans depending on the type of plan: a spontaneous decision, a pre-arranged plan, or a confirmed arrangement.

Will: We use will to talk about spontaneous plans made at the moment of speaking.

• Oh no, I forgot to send the email! I'll send it right after lunch.

• I’m not sure what to cook for dinner. Wait, I’ll make pasta!

• The printer is out of paper. I’ll pick some up when I go out.

Going to: We use going to for plans decided before the moment of speaking.

• I'm going to call my sister tonight. I promised her we'd catch up.

• I'm going to wear my blue jacket tomorrow.

• I'm going to stop by the store later. Do we need anything?

Present continuous: We use the present continuous for arrangements that have already been confirmed, usually involving another person, and when the time and place are set.

• I’m having dinner with Sarah at 7 p.m. tomorrow.

• We're celebrating my birthday next weekend. Want to join?

The present continuous is also commonly used to ask about someone's future plans.

• Are you going anywhere special this holiday season?

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