Published at February 17, 2025

Course on Expressing the Future with the Present Continuous - TOEIC® Preparation

TOP-Students™

In English, there are several ways to express the future: « will », « be going to », and also the present continuous (present continuous) to talk about things already planned in the schedule, organized projects for the near future. Here are the different uses of the future with the present continuous:

When to use the present continuous to express the future?

The present continuous is used to talk about a very near or planned future, generally when the action is already arranged, decided, and all details are set. It's like an appointment already in your calendar or an event scheduled in your future timetable.

I am meeting my manager tomorrow at 10 AM.
We are leaving next week for our vacation.
She is hosting a party on Saturday.
They are moving to a new apartment in January.

In each of these cases, the idea is that there is a concrete plan. We are not just talking about a prediction or a vague intention, but about a planned and confirmed future action.

As with the classic present continuous, it cannot be used with stative verbs, here are our courses on the subject:

🔗 Course on the present continuous

🔗 List of stative verbs (state verbs)

Future with « be going to » or with the present continuous?

« Be going to » is often used to talk about an intention or a strong probability. It can indicate a plan, but without it necessarily being completely organized. Often, « be going to » and the present continuous can be used interchangeably for planned actions.

I am meeting him tomorrow. = I am going to meet him tomorrow.

However, the present continuous gives the impression that the event is better organized and there is more certainty. With « be going to », the emphasis is on the intention to do something, rather than on the idea of something that is already fixed in a schedule.

I am going to visit my grandmother next month.
I am visiting my grandmother next month.

Future with « will » or with the present continuous?

The future with « will » is often used for:

Spontaneous decisions:
- Oh, the phone is ringing. I'll answer it.
Promises, predictions, offers, threats…
- I will help you with your homework.
- You will succeed if you study hard.

In contrast, the present continuous is used to talk about an already established future intention, a future plan already decided. With « will », we are often in the immediate reaction or the more general prediction.

I will take the train tomorrow morning.
I am taking the train tomorrow morning.

Conclusion

The future with the present continuous is a common form of the future in English and in the TOEIC®. But there are other forms of the future that you must also master, here are the courses on other forms of the future: