Future Tenses: Revision Practice Tests with A2 Grammar Rules & Examples

Future Tenses: Revision

In English, we use different future tenses to talk about things that have not happened yet. At A2 level, we use three main ways to talk about the future:

• will – for predictions, promises, and quick decisions
• be going to – for plans and intentions
• Present Continuous – for fixed arrangements

This lesson is a revision of all three future tenses. We will look at how to form them, when to use them, and the differences between them.

Let's start with a simple situation:

Anna is thinking about next week. She has a plan to visit her friend on Saturday. She already bought the train ticket. On Sunday, she thinks the weather will be sunny. While talking to her mum on the phone, she decides to cook dinner tonight.

Anna uses three different future tenses in this situation. Let's learn each one.

Future Tense 1: Will

Will is the simplest future tense. We use it to:

• make predictions (what we think will happen)
• make promises
• make quick decisions (decided at the moment of speaking)
• offer help

How to Form Will

Positive: Subject + will + base verb

Negative: Subject + will not / won't + base verb

Question: Will + subject + base verb?

The base verb is the simple form of the verb, with no endings. For example: go, eat, rain, call.

Form	Example
Positive	It will rain tomorrow.
Positive (contraction)	It'll rain tomorrow.
Negative	It will not rain tomorrow.
Negative (contraction)	It won't rain tomorrow.
Question	Will it rain tomorrow?
Short answer (yes)	Yes, it will.
Short answer (no)	No, it won't.

Will: Subject Pronouns

Will does not change with any subject. It is the same for I, you, he, she, it, we, they.

Subject	Positive	Contraction	Negative
I	I will go	I'll go	I won't go
You	You will go	You'll go	You won't go
He / She / It	He will go	He'll go	He won't go
We	We will go	We'll go	We won't go
They	They will go	They'll go	They won't go

Examples of Will in Context

Prediction: I think it will be cold next week.

Promise: I will call you later.

Quick decision: (The phone rings.) I'll answer it!

Offer: I'll carry your bag for you.

Future Tense 2: Be Going To

We use be going to to talk about:

• plans and intentions – things we have already decided to do
• predictions based on evidence – when we can see something is about to happen

Think of "be going to" as a plan that exists in your head before you speak.

How to Form Be Going To

Positive: Subject + am / is / are + going to + base verb

Negative: Subject + am not / isn't / aren't + going to + base verb

Question: Am / Is / Are + subject + going to + base verb?

Notice: we use the correct form of "be" – am, is, or are – depending on the subject.

Subject	Be verb	Positive Example	Negative Example
I	am	I am going to study.	I am not going to study.
You	are	You are going to study.	You aren't going to study.
He / She / It	is	She is going to study.	She isn't going to study.
We	are	We are going to study.	We aren't going to study.
They	are	They are going to study.	They aren't going to study.

Questions with Be Going To

Question	Short Answer (Yes)	Short Answer (No)
Am I going to be late?	Yes, you are.	No, you aren't.
Are you going to cook?	Yes, I am.	No, I'm not.
Is he going to come?	Yes, he is.	No, he isn't.
Are they going to stay?	Yes, they are.	No, they aren't.

Examples of Be Going To in Context

Plan / intention: I am going to visit my friend on Saturday. (I decided this before.)

Plan / intention: We are going to move to a new house next month.

Prediction with evidence: Look at those clouds. It is going to rain! (We can see the clouds now.)

Prediction with evidence: He isn't wearing a coat. He is going to be cold.

Future Tense 3: Present Continuous for Future

We can also use the Present Continuous to talk about the future. We use it for fixed arrangements – plans that are confirmed and have a specific time or place.

Think of a fixed arrangement as something already written in your diary or calendar.

How to Form Present Continuous for Future

Positive: Subject + am / is / are + verb-ing

Negative: Subject + am not / isn't / aren't + verb-ing

Question: Am / Is / Are + subject + verb-ing?

The form looks the same as the Present Continuous for "now", but a future time expression (tomorrow, on Saturday, next week, tonight) tells us it is about the future.

Form	Example
Positive	I am meeting Tom on Friday.
Negative	I am not meeting Tom on Friday.
Question	Are you meeting Tom on Friday?
Short answer (yes)	Yes, I am.
Short answer (no)	No, I am not.

Examples of Present Continuous for Future in Context

I am flying to Rome on Monday. (The flight is booked.)

She is having dinner with her boss tomorrow evening. (It is arranged.)

We are not working next Saturday.

Are you coming to the party on Friday?

Important Differences Between the Three Future Tenses

All three future tenses talk about the future, but they are used in different situations. This is the most important part of this revision lesson.

Future Tense	When to Use	Example
will	Predictions (opinions), promises, quick decisions, offers	I think it will snow tomorrow.
be going to	Plans decided before speaking, predictions based on what you can see	I am going to buy a new phone. / Look – he is going to fall!
Present Continuous	Fixed arrangements (time + place confirmed)	I am seeing the doctor at 3 o'clock.

Comparing Will and Be Going To

These two can be difficult to choose. Here is a simple guide:

Situation 1: Quick decision
(The doorbell rings.)
✅ I'll get it! (decided right now – use will)
❌ I am going to get it. (this sounds like you planned it before – strange here)

Situation 2: Existing plan
(You decided last week to go to the gym.)
✅ I am going to go to the gym after work. (plan decided before – use be going to)
❌ I will go to the gym after work. (possible but sounds more like a promise/prediction)

Situation 3: Prediction with evidence
(You can see black clouds in the sky.)
✅ It is going to rain. (evidence in front of you – use be going to)
❌ It will rain. (this is more of a general opinion, not based on current evidence)

Comparing Be Going To and Present Continuous

These two are sometimes used interchangeably for plans, but there is a small difference:

Be going to = a general intention or plan (the details may not be confirmed yet)
Present Continuous = a specific, fixed arrangement (time, date, or place is confirmed)

Be going to: I am going to visit Paris someday. (a wish or general plan – no date yet)
Present Continuous: I am visiting Paris next Tuesday. (the flights are booked – it is arranged)

Common Time Expressions for Future Tenses

These words and phrases often appear with future tenses. They help us understand that a sentence is about the future:

Time Expression	Example
tomorrow	She will call you tomorrow.
next week / month / year	We are going to move next month.
tonight	I am cooking dinner tonight.
on Saturday / on Monday	He is playing football on Saturday.
soon	They will arrive soon.
in + year / month	I am going to study in September.
at + time	The train is leaving at 6 o'clock.

Common Mistakes

Here are the most common mistakes students make with future tenses. Check you do not make these errors!

❌ I will to go to the party.
✅ Will is followed by the base verb without "to". I will go to the party.

❌ She is going go to the market.
✅ Remember "to" after "going". She is going to go to the market.

❌ He going to play football tomorrow.
✅ Do not forget the verb "be". He is going to play football tomorrow.

❌ I am going to meeting my friend.
✅ After "going to", use the base verb, not the -ing form. I am going to meet my friend.

❌ She will goes to school tomorrow.
✅ After "will", always use the base verb (no -s, no -ed, no -ing). She will go to school tomorrow.

❌ Are you going to to study?
✅ Only one "to" after "going". Are you going to study?

❌ I am meeting my friend since 3 o'clock.
✅ Use "at" for a specific time in the future. I am meeting my friend at 3 o'clock.

Contractions in Future Tenses

In spoken English and informal writing, we often use contractions (short forms). Here are the most common ones for future tenses:

Full Form	Contraction	Example
I will	I'll	I'll see you later.
You will	You'll	You'll love this film.
He will	He'll	He'll be home soon.
She will	She'll	She'll call you tonight.
It will	It'll	It'll be cold tomorrow.
We will	We'll	We'll finish it next week.
They will	They'll	They'll arrive on Monday.
will not	won't	I won't forget.
I am going to	I'm going to	I'm going to study tonight.
She is going to	She's going to	She's going to be a doctor.
They are going to	They're going to	They're going to buy a car.

Future Tenses: Quick Summary

Here is a quick review of everything we covered in this future tenses revision:

• Use will + base verb for predictions (opinions), promises, quick decisions, and offers.
• Use be going to + base verb for plans decided before speaking, and for predictions based on evidence you can see now.
• Use the Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing) for fixed future arrangements with a specific time or place.
• Will never changes – it is the same for all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they).
• Be going to uses am, is, or are depending on the subject.
• Always use the base verb after will and after going to.
• Future time expressions like tomorrow, next week, on Friday, tonight help show that a sentence is about the future.

Now practise future tenses in the exercises below.