Expressing the future

Future simple - Will

The most common way of expressing the future is the construction of will with the infinitive.

He will be here in half an hour.

Future simple - Shall

Less common way to indicate the future with a 1st person subject.  (I shall see you next week.)

Present progressive

Future arising from present arrangement, plan or programme.

The orchestra is playing a Mozart symphony after this. The match is starting at 2.30 tomorrow.

Present simple

Represents a marked future for statements about the calendar. (Tomorrow is Thursday. School finishes on 31st June. When is high tide?)

Like the present continuous, it is used to convey the meaning of plan or programme. (The plane takes off/is taking off at 20:30 tonight.)

Be going to

Obvious future result of a present cause (It’s going to rain. She’s going to have a baby.)

Future progressive

Indicates a future period of time within which another situation occurs.

This time next week, I'll be sunbathing on the beach in Greece.

Future perfect simple and continuous

To express an action that has just finished before a given future time. (I’ll have finished my work by five this afternoon.)

Action has extended for a specified length of time before a given future moment and possibly continues at that moment (By the end of next month I shall have been working here for a year.)

Be about to

Expresses near future. (The train is about to leave. I’m about to read your essay.)

Modality

The weather may improve tomorrow. You must have dinner with us soon.

Future time in the past

Future can be expressed though the past tense.

Would (rare, literary narrative style)

The time was not far off when he would regret this decision.

Be going to (often with the sense of unfulfilled intention)

You were going to give me your address. (…but you didn’t….)