You have more flexibility with future tense grammar than you realize!
When you ask someone about their upcoming plans, you have at least three tenses to choose from.
Listen in today as Lindsay and Aubrey break down these options.
They’ll show you what this grammar means for your conversations and connection.
Today and tomorrow
Lindsay asks Aubrey if she is doing anything fun this weekend.
Aubrey answers that she is heading to Rocky Point, Mexico with her family.
This is one of her favorite family destinations.
Note that she is using the present continuous tense to talk about the future.
- We are heading to Rocky Point.
Today’s question
Today’s episode was inspired by a listener from Japan.
She asks about using the present tense to talk about the future.
Hi Lindsay, Michelle, and Aubrey,
I’m Asami from Tokyo, Japan.
I just want to say a big thank you to all of you for creating such an amazing show and for answering my questions before.
When my questions were answered, I couldn’t help but jump with excitement and tell the people around me—haha!
Today, I have another question since I couldn’t find an episode about this.
I’m not sure how to use the future continuous tense correctly.
I heard the following sentences on your show before, and I’m not sure why.
They use the future continuous instead of the simple future tense:
・I don’t think I will be spending much time with her.
・We will be closing the office today.
・Hopefully, the sun will be shining there.
I would really appreciate it if you guys could clarify the difference between the future tense and the future continuous tense.
Love you guys!
Best,
Asami
Which grammar tense to use?
Future grammar tenses can be very confusing.
Asami mentioned three different tenses in her question.
- Future simple
- Future progressive
- Present progressive
Lindsay and Aubrey will describe these tenses and show how to use each to talk about the future.
You will get examples for you to understand the structure and use of each.
#1: Future simple
This is often preferred over the future progressive tense because it is more flexible and versatile.
This is particularly true for expressing actions that will occur at a specific time in the future.
Use future simple to talk about plans, predictions, or spontaneous decisions.
Examples:
- We’ll see what happens.
- They’ll meet us at the restaurant at 7.
#2: Future progressive
In situations where an action will be ongoing at a certain point in the future, future progressive is used.
It is often used to emphasize the duration of the action.
Examples:
- I don’t think I will be spending much time with her.
- We will be closing the office today.
- Hopefully, the sun will be shining there.
#3: Present progressive
You may be surprised to learn that we also use present progressive to talk about the future.
This is used to inquire about plans or arrangements that are definite and will occur in the near future.
It is used often in casual conversation
Examples:
- Are you doing anything fun this weekend?
- What have you got going on later?
- We’re going to the beach later.
Break down the wall of formality
Of all the tenses we use to talk about the future, present progressive is the least formal.
It is used in casual conversations to remove walls and build connections.
- Formal: I will go to the beach later. (future simple)
- Informal: I’m going to the beach later. (present progressive)
A common mistake students make is using future simple in informal conversations.
Instead, opt for present progressive to avoid the wall of formality!
Roleplay
Here is a quick roleplay from Lindsay and Aubrey, using the different grammar tenses talked about in today’s episode.
This will help you better understand how these are used in an actual English conversation.
In this scenario, Lindsay and Aubrey are discussing their weekend plans
Aubrey: Hey Lindsay! What are you doing this weekend? (present progressive)
Lindsay: I’m meeting my cousin on Saturday. We’re going to a concert. What about you? (present progressive)
Aubrey: I’ll be visiting my grandparents on Sunday. (future progressive)
Lindsay: Oh, fun! Where do they live?
Aubrey: They live near the coast, so I’ll probably spend some time at the beach too. (future simple)
Lindsay: Do you stay with them when you visit? (present progressive)
Aubrey: No, we’ll stay at my cousin’s place. (future simple)
Takeaway
We don’t just stick to the simple future when talking about the future in English.
We use future simple, future progressive, and even present progressive when talking about future plans.
In professional environments, being able to shift between these tenses makes your communication more dynamic and accurate.
Whether you’re outlining your schedule, discussing upcoming projects, or confirming plans with a client, using the right tense helps you sound clear, prepared, and engaged.
Look for ways to always make a good connection.
When you speak naturally and appropriately about the future, you show that you understand both language and context.
That kind of fluency makes conversations smoother and leaves a more professional impression, especially in cross-cultural or global business settings.
What other grammar structures do you want to hear us talk about in a future episode?
Let us know in the comments below.
