Lesson 5 – Mixed Future Tenses (Part 2)
In yesterday's lesson, we covered how to talk about:
1.
2.
3.
4.
predictions (will / going to)
arrangements (will / going to / future continuous) and intentions (going to)
promises, offers, decisions in the moment (will)
scheduled/regular events (simple present)
Today we will learn about four more future situations:
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conditional events in the future
actions completed before a specific time in the future
actions in progress at a specific time in the future
and the future as seen from the past.
Situation #5 – Conditional Events in the Future
When one future event depends on another future event, we use the present
simple for the future condition, and will or going to for the future result:

If it rains tomorrow, then
we won't go to the beach.
If it will rain tomorrow

We'll have a big party if our
team wins the championship
next month.
if our team will win

We're going to have to leave without them if they don't get here in the next
ten minutes.
if they won’t get here
We will cover this topic more in depth in the next lesson on conditionals.
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© Shayna Oliveira 2014
Situation #6 –
Actions Completed Before a Specific Time in the Future
When a single event will be completed sometime between now and a specific future
time, we use the future perfect: will + have + past participle
Here’s an example:
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Imagine that right now it is 12:00 PM.
I will leave work at 5:00 PM.
Before I leave work, I am definitely going finish a project.
So I can say: “By 5:00 PM, I will have finished the project.”
Or: “By the time I leave work, I will have finished the project.”
Note that I don't say exactly when we will finish the project. I might finish at 12:30,
or we might finish at 4:59 – but it definitely will be finished before 5:00!
The future perfect is often used with by and by the time.
www.espressoenglish.net
© Shayna Oliveira 2014
Put it into practice!
What is one thing that you will have done...
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by the end of the week?
by the end of the month?
by this time next year?
by the time you are 80 years old?
SITUATION #7 –
Actions in Progress at a Specific Date/Time in the Future
When an activity will be in progress at a specific date or time in the future, we use
the future continuous:
will + be + verb-ING

Don’t call me at 6, because I’ll be
driving home from work.

I can’t meet with you Monday afternoon
because I'll be teaching a class.

Next month I'll be working on a special assignment in China.
In each case we have a
specific time in the
future (at 6, Monday
afternoon, and next
month) and an activity
that will be in progress
at that future time – I’ll
be driving, I’ll be
teaching, I’ll be
working.
www.espressoenglish.net
© Shayna Oliveira 2014
Put it into practice!
Use the future continuous to answer these questions? What will you be doing
tomorrow at...
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2 AM? (I'll be sleeping)
7 AM?
9 AM?
Noon?
4 PM?
8 PM?
Midnight?
Sometimes when looking forward to anniversaries and special dates or moments,
we want to comment on how long an activity will have been in progress by that
time. In this case we use the future perfect continuous:
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By the time she graduates, she will have been studying for 7 years.
By 7 PM, I will have been working on this project for eight hours straight.
By this time next year, they will have been living in Japan for two decades.
As you can see from the examples, the future perfect continuous is typically used
with by and by the time. This tense is not used very frequently.
www.espressoenglish.net
© Shayna Oliveira 2014
SITUATION #8 – The future as seen from the past
Sometimes when discussing past events, we want to talk about something that was
in the future at that time. We often use this structure when the events came out
differently from what we expected or planned. We can
use was/were going to in this case:


I was going to stay at a five-star hotel, but they were
totally booked, so I had to stay somewhere else.
We were going to get a dog, but then we found out
pets aren't allowed in our apartment building.
We can also say it the opposite way - something we were NOT going to do, but we
ended up doing:
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I wasn't going to join the soccer game, but the team needed an extra player
so I jumped in.
They weren't going to buy the new toy for their son, but he made such a fuss
in the store that they ended up buying it.
Some other verbs that are commonly used for "the future in the past" include:
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was aiming to
The company was aiming to grow by 50%, but it only managed to grow by
30%.
expected to / was expecting to
She was expecting to win the award, but it went to someone else.
He expected to finish the work yesterday, but it took longer than anticipated.
hoped to / was hoping to
We hoped to take a trip last month, but it just wasn't possible.
We were hoping to take a trip last month, but it just wasn't possible.
intended to
I intended to fix the leaking sink, but I didn't have time.
was looking to
The organization was looking to raise funds for a new project.
planned to / was planning to / was planning on
They planned to spend three days camping.
www.espressoenglish.net
© Shayna Oliveira 2014

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They were planning to spend three days camping.
They were planning on spending three days camping.
promised to
He promised to pay me back by this past weekend, but he hasn't yet.
decided to
We decided to sell our house last year, and we did within a month.
wanted to
They wanted to see the show, but they couldn't get tickets.
was about to
The surgeon was about to start the operation when he realized it was the
wrong patient! (this expression means something that was immediately in the
future from that past moment)
We can also use would / wouldn't to talk about the future as seen from the past usually after the verbs said, told, knew, hoped, thought, and had a feeling:
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Yesterday he said he would make dinner, but he
ended up just ordering pizza.
I knew she would like the present I'd bought for
her birthday - and she did!
I wasn't expecting to get a perfect score on the
exam - I was just hoping that I wouldn't fail.
Put it into practice!
Think about three things that you were going to do, hoping or planning to do... but
things changed and you didn't accomplish them.
1. I was going to...
2. I was hoping to...
3. I was planning to...
Summary
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When one future event depends on another future event, we use the present
simple for the future condition, and will or going to for the future result
When a single event will be completed between now and a specific future
time, we use the future perfect: will + have + past participle
www.espressoenglish.net
© Shayna Oliveira 2014



When an activity will be in progress at a specific date or time in the future, we
use the future continuous: will + be + verb-ING
Sometimes when looking forward to anniversaries and special dates or
moments, we want to comment on how long an activity will have been in
progress by that time. In this case we use the future perfect continuous: will +
have + been + verb-ING
For the future as seen from the past, use was/were going to, would/wouldn't,
or other verbs involving hoping and planning
www.espressoenglish.net
© Shayna Oliveira 2014
Quiz – Lesson 5 – Mixed Future Tenses (Part 2)
Using the verbs in parentheses, fill in the blanks with the best option:
 Future continuous (will + be + -ING)
 Future perfect (will + have + past participle)
 Future perfect continuous (will have been + -ING)
Ex) The wedding ceremony begins at 10. Hopefully all the guests will have arrived
(arrive) by then.
1. Do you think you ____________________________ (work) at the same company in ten
years' time?
2. By noon, they _______________________ (play) that video game for five hours. Don’t
they ever get tired of it?
3. Henry _______________________ (not join) us tonight; he's not feeling well.
4. Hopefully I _______________________ (pay) off my student loans by the time I'm 40!
5. I _____________________________ (write) a book over the next six months. By
December, I _____________________________ (publish) it.
6. It's our anniversary on Sunday. We ________________________ (be) married for
sixteen years.
7. Over the course of the next week, we ____________________________ (move) into our
new apartment.
8. Politicians make a lot of promises, but I bet that nothing
__________________________ (change) by the next election.
9. Some foreign visitors are coming to my company tomorrow, and I
__________________________ (give) them a tour of the premises.
10. ________ you _________________ (use) the car tonight, or can I borrow it?
11. By the end of her trip around the world, she ________________________ (spend)
time in 60 different countries.
12. Bring your kids over to my place around 7. My kids ________________________
(finish) their homework by then.
www.espressoenglish.net
© Shayna Oliveira 2014
Writing Task
Imagine what you think life in your country (and the world in general) will be like
50 years in the future. You could consider aspects of politics, society, culture,
technology, and daily life. What things do you think will stay the same, and what do
you think will change or evolve?
E-mail me your text at [email protected] – and I’ll review it and send you
back my comments.
Answers
1. Do you think you will be working at the same company in ten years' time?
2. By noon, they will have been playing that video game for five hours. Don’t
they ever get tired of it?
3. Henry won't be joining us tonight; he's not feeling well.
4. Hopefully I will have paid off my student loans by the time I'm 40!
5. I will be writing a book over the next six months. By December, I will have
published it.
6. It's our anniversary on Sunday. We will have been married for sixteen years.
7. Over the course of the next week, we will be moving into our new apartment.
8. Politicians make a lot of promises, but I bet that nothing will have changed
by the next election.
9. Some foreign visitors are coming to my company tomorrow, and I will be
giving them a tour of the premises.
10. Will you be using the car tonight, or can I borrow it?
11. By the end of her trip around the world, she will have spent time in 60
different countries.
12. Bring your kids over to my place around 7. My kids will have finished their
homework by then.
www.espressoenglish.net
© Shayna Oliveira 2014