Published at February 17, 2025

Course on the Present Simple - TOEIC® Preparation

TOP-Students™

Although it is naturally associated with habitual or factual actions, the present simple is also used to talk about future events in specific contexts, especially when it comes to schedules, calendars, or events considered as fixed in advance.

1. The present simple to talk about official schedules, programs, and calendars

The present simple can express a scheduled future, particularly when it comes to timetables (transport schedules, cinema programs, TV schedules, class schedules, etc.). The underlying idea is that the event in question is planned and is part of an established calendar; these events will not change overnight.

The train leaves at 8:00 tomorrow morning.
My flight departs next Monday at 6:15 a.m.
The movie starts at 7:30 p.m.
The conference begins on Tuesday.
The shop opens at 9 a.m. on weekdays.

The present simple is generally associated with general facts, permanent truths, or habits. However, in the above contexts, it implies that it is an established fact or a "fixed" reality in the future. For example, a train schedule is considered definitive, it is an official program.

2. The present simple to talk about the future with time clauses

When expressing the future in subordinate clauses introduced by when, as soon as, after, before, if, unless, etc., the present simple is often used instead of the future with will. The meaning remains future, but the rule in English is that in the subordinate clause, the verb is in the present simple when the action occurs in the future, to be able to project into the future.

I'll text you when I arrive at the office.
She will call you as soon as she finishes her meeting.
If it rains tomorrow, the match is canceled.
We won't start the presentation until everyone is here.

3. Future with "will" or with the present simple?

Will is often used to make predictions, promises, spontaneous decisions, offers of help, etc.

I will help you clean the office.

The present simple in the future, on the other hand, indicates a schedule, a programming, a planned fact and often difficult to modify.

The show starts at 8 p.m.

4. Future with "be going to" or with the present simple?

Be going to often expresses an intention, a project, or a personal plan, sometimes accompanied by clear indications of the imminent realization of the action.

I'm going to buy a new phone next week.

The present simple in the future retains this notion of something fixed by a schedule or external circumstances, beyond the speaker's intention.

My flight leaves at 6:15 a.m.

5. Future with the present continuous or with the present simple?

The present continuous is used to express a personal arrangement, an already decided organization, or a planned future action, often decided by the speaker or the people involved.

I'm meeting Sarah tomorrow at 3 p.m.

The present simple in the future, on the other hand, is used for events fixed by an official schedule or a program, independent of personal will.

The train leaves at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.

Nuance
However, in some contexts, both work! So you have to choose the right one based on the overall context of the sentence.

What time does the train leave? It leaves at 6 PM.

What time does the train leave? It's leaving at 6 PM.

Here, the present simple shows that it's a fixed schedule, and the present continuous gives an impression of immediate departure. Both mean the same thing in this context.

Conclusion

The future with the present simple 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: