Future and probability

There are various ways to talk about the future. They reflect the intention of the speaker and the perception of probability. We can use will, be going to and, in some cases, the Present Continuous:

This author will be even more popular in the future.

He's going to check if it's raining.

I'm taking the bus after school.

We can use modals and other words to express probability:

We may have to cut costs next year.

The mayor will probably run for president in the next election.

All these forms are discussed in more detail below.

will

Will + infinitive is preferred when making a future prediction (be going to is also common). We usually write 'll after pronouns and will after names.

He'll have problems with the boss if he keeps coming late.

Our lives will change for the better.

I think Laura will stay in Brazil.

Will we have flying cars by 2050?

Use won't for the negative when it's a contraction of will not. There isn't a contraction when we use never.

Analysts predict the country won't see strong growth until next year.

Norm and Jessica will never get along.

Will is also used for offers and promises.

I'll help you with the homework.

I promise I' won't do it again.

To give a short answer to a yes/no question, as always, leave out the main verb and include the auxiliary verb, in this case will:

Will people spend more money this Christmas than last year?

Yes, they will. NOT Yes, they will spend.

No, they won't. NOT No, they won't spend.

It's possible to use might in short answers, if one isn't certain.

Will people spend more money this Christmas than last year?

(Yes,) they might.

be going to

Be going to + infinitive is used to talk about future plans.

We're going to build our own house.

I'm going to watch a movie.

The negative is formed by combining be and not. Like in other cases, we normally use contractions. This can be done in the following ways:

As you can see, the 1^st person singular form am doesn't have a contracted form when used with not.

To give a short answer to a yes/no question, simply use the verb be, leaving out going to.

Are you going to call her?

Yes, I am. NOT Yes, I'm going to.

No, I'm not. NOT No, I'm not going to.

Present Continuous

It's quite common to use the Present Continuous (see also Present Simple and Present Continuous) with a future meaning. It usually refers to an arrangement that's already made, with a fixed time and place.

I'm signing the contract tomorrow.

What are you doing after work?

It can express the idea that a decision was made:

I'm taking the children with me.

I'm leaving.

To avoid confusion, we don't normally pair the be going to form with the verb go, opting to use this verb in the Present Continuous instead.

I'm going to go to the beach.

May and might

May and might are modal verbs (see Modal Verb). When applied to the future, may or might have the meaning of "will possibly". They are used in the same way as will.

Your brother might not return before dinner.

The situation might get even more complicated.

Expressions of probability

Probability can also be expressed by certain other words and phrases. We can try to group them according to their degree of certainty.

It's certain that AI technology will continue to improve.

There's bound to be new developments in the technology sector.

Oil prices will definitely be affected

It's highly likely/almost certain that the Earth will continue to get warmer.

It's quite probable that we'll get a bonus this time.

It's likely that the king will appoint a new government.

We probably know less about the Universe than we think.

There's a good chance she'll be promoted.

Perhaps/maybe it won't be finished before next month.

It's possible that the red team might still win.

It's conceivable that archaelogists will discover a new civilization.

I doubt he'll finish in time.

It's unlikely we'll see another genius like him.

It's highly unlikely/almost impossible we'll win the lottery with just one ticket.

It's impossible to divide by zero.

There's no chance/no way a person could live to 200 years.