Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

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539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

Past time | 627

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Future time

Introduction

361

Be going to and the present progressive

362

Be going to and will

363

Gonna

364

Independent ’ll

365

Will/shall: intention and volition

366

Will versus shall

367

Will/shall in requests, offers, etc.

368

The present simple

369

The future perfect simple

370

The future progressive

371

The future perfect progressive

372

Future in the past

373

Future reference in subordinate clauses

374

Other modal verbs and future reference

375

Other forms for referring to the future

376

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| 629

Future time

INTRODUCTION

361

There is no future tense ending for English verbs as there is in other languages, but

English has several widely used ways of referring to future time. The most

common forms are:

We

’re going to buy a new camera.

(be going to + infinitive)

She

’s coming next Thursday.

(the present progressive form)

I

’ll be home about eight.

(shall/will)

My flight 

leaves in two hours’ time.

(the present simple form)

The government 

is to introduce a new funding system for universities.

(be to + infinitive)

We

’re about to have dinner.

(be about to + infinitive)

References to the future can depend on how much evidence there is for future

statements. It is often not possible to refer to the future with complete certainty,

even though some future events and actions are inevitable. Sometimes, therefore,

choices of form depend on how definite or certain the speaker wants to sound.

For this reason, a number of the ways of referring to the future involve modal

verbs. The most common verb used is will.