Study the rules, look at the examples, then do the exercises.
English does not have one single "future tense". Instead, speakers choose between several forms, and the choice depends on why you are talking about the future. At B1 you must master the three most common ones: will, be going to, and the Present Continuous used with a future meaning.
Here is the whole unit in three lines — learn this map first, then we will study each form in detail:
We make this form with will plus the base verb (no -s, no to). It is the same for every subject, which makes it the easiest form to build. The short forms are 'll (will) and won't (will not).
| Subject | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / you / we / they | will ('ll) help | won't help | Will you help? |
| he / she / it | will ('ll) help | won't help | Will she help? |
We make this form with am / is / are + going to + the base verb. Unlike will, this form changes with the subject, exactly like the verb be.
| Subject | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am ('m) going to study | 'm not going to study | Am I going to study? |
| he / she / it | is ('s) going to study | isn't going to study | Is he going to study? |
| you / we / they | are ('re) going to study | aren't going to study | Are they going to study? |
You already know the Present Continuous (am / is / are + -ing) for actions happening now. But English also uses it for the future — when a plan is fixed and arranged, with a time, a place or other people already decided. It almost always comes with a future time expression so the listener knows you mean the future.
| Meaning | Example | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Now | She is flying right now. | action in progress at this moment |
| Future (arranged) | She is flying to Rome on Monday. | a fixed arrangement (ticket booked, time set) |
This is the heart of the unit. Read every row twice and notice why each form is chosen.
| Idea | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Quick decision (now) | will | "I'll call you back in a minute." |
| Prediction / opinion | will | "I think you'll love this film." |
| Prediction from evidence now | be going to | "Careful — that glass is going to fall!" |
| Plan / intention (decided before) | be going to | "We're going to start our own business." |
| Fixed arrangement (time set) | Present Continuous | "I'm meeting the manager at 10." |
| Offer / promise | will | "I'll help you, I promise." |
Future time words do not choose the form for you, but they tell the listener you are talking about the future — and they must go in the right place.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| tomorrow | the next day | "I'm leaving tomorrow morning." |
| tonight | later today | "We're eating out tonight." |
| next week / month / year | the coming period | "She starts her new job next week." |
| soon | in a short time | "Don't worry, they'll arrive soon." |
| in + a period | after that time | "I'll be ready in ten minutes." |
These are the errors B1 students make most often with future forms. The biggest one is using will for a plan that is already arranged. Check your own speaking and writing against this list.
| Wrong ✗ | Right ✓ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| I will visit my aunt on Sunday; it's arranged. | I'm visiting my aunt on Sunday. | a fixed arrangement → Present Continuous. |
| Look at the traffic! We will be late. | Look at the traffic! We're going to be late. | evidence you can see now → be going to. |
| That bag looks heavy. I'm going to help you. | That bag looks heavy. I'll help you. | an offer decided now → will. |
| When you will finish, tell me. | When you finish, tell me. | after "when" for the future → Present Simple. |
| It is raining tomorrow. | It's going to rain tomorrow. | a prediction, not an arrangement. |
Lena and Sam talk about the coming weekend. Read it twice and notice how they switch between the three forms — arrangements, intentions, predictions, and quick decisions.
Choose the correct answer. — 10 questions, each one is marked instantly. Questions get harder as you go.
Learn the words, then use them in your own sentences about your future.
Write 8 sentences about your plans, arrangements and predictions for the future. Use at least 8 of the words above.
Sentence starters (you can begin with these):
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will review your task.)
Read the text, then answer the questions.
Good readers prepare before they start. Before you read, think about these three questions (you do not need to write the answers):
Words to spot (from the Speaking section): plan · intend · decide · arrange · appointment · predict · expect · ambition · opportunity
Emre is a final-year engineering student in Izmir, and he has a lot of exciting plans. Next month he is finishing his degree, and in July he is flying to Canada, because he has already accepted a place on a master's programme in Toronto. His flight is booked and his visa is ready, so everything is arranged.
For Emre, this journey did not begin suddenly. Two years ago, he was only dreaming about studying abroad, but slowly the dream became a real plan. He read about many universities, he talked to his teachers, and in the end he decided to apply to three schools in Canada. It was not easy. He had to write a long letter about his goals, take an English exam, and then wait for months for an answer. "When the email from Toronto arrived, I read it five times," he laughs. "Then I called my mother, and we were both so happy that we could not speak." Since that day, Emre has been getting ready, step by step, for the biggest change of his life.
Emre is not nervous; he is excited. "I'm going to study renewable energy," he says, "and after that I'm going to work on solar projects." He is going to share a flat with two other students, because rooms in the city are expensive. Although the winters are cold, he expects that he will enjoy them.
The master's programme is going to last two years, and it is going to be quite intense. In the first year, Emre is going to take courses in wind power, solar power and energy storage. In the second year, he is going to work on a real research project with a company. "The programme is famous, so I'm sure I will learn a lot," he says. He has already looked at maps of the city, and he knows exactly where his university is. "Toronto is huge," he explains. "I'm probably going to buy a bicycle, because the buses are expensive and I want to save money." He is also planning to find a small part-time job at the weekend, but he is not going to start working until he feels comfortable with his studies.
When he imagines his new life, Emre smiles. "On weekday mornings I'm going to walk to the campus with a big cup of coffee," he says. "In the afternoons I'll be in the laboratory, and in the evenings I'm going to cook simple meals with my flatmates." He expects the first weeks to be a little lonely, but he is sure that he will make new friends quickly, because the programme has students from all over the world. "I'm going to join the international club," he adds, "so I will meet people from many countries and practise my English every day."
These days, Emre is very busy. He is selling some of his old things, and he is packing the rest into two big suitcases. "I'm not going to take much," he says. "I'll buy warm clothes when I arrive, because Canadian winters are much colder than Turkish ones." He has made a long list of everything he needs to do before July: close his bank account, say goodbye to his relatives, and collect all his important documents. Every evening he crosses one more thing off the list. "When everything is ready, I'm going to relax for a few days," he promises, "but right now there is no time to rest."
Of course, Emre also has some worries. "I don't speak French, so I will probably find the first months difficult," he admits. "However, I'm going to take a language course, and I'm sure I will improve quickly." When he arrives, he is meeting his new supervisor on the very first morning; the appointment is already in his calendar.
Emre knows that French is one of the two official languages of Canada, and he thinks it will be useful in the future. "Maybe one day I'm going to work in Montreal," he says, "so a little French will help me." For now, though, his English is good enough for his studies, and this makes him feel calmer. He has already sent an email to his supervisor, Professor Clarke, who answered kindly and welcomed him. They are going to meet in her office at nine o'clock on his first morning, and after that she is going to show him the laboratory. "I don't want to be late on my first day," Emre says, "so I'm going to arrive early, and I probably won't sleep much the night before!"
What about his family? "My parents are going to visit me at Christmas," Emre explains, "while my sister is staying here in Izmir to finish school." He promises he will call home every Sunday. He believes the year will change his life, but he is a little sad, because he is going to miss his friends.
His friends are proud of him, although they are going to miss him too. Next Friday they are having a big farewell dinner at their favourite restaurant; they booked a table for twelve people last week. "We're going to eat, laugh, and remember all our best memories," Emre says. His best friend, Can, has promised to visit him in the spring. "I think Can will love Canada," Emre says. "We're going to explore the national parks together, and maybe we'll even see a bear from a safe distance!" Emre knows that good friendships do not end because of distance; they only change their shape.
"In five years I think I will be an engineer with real experience," Emre says with a smile. "I don't know exactly what will happen, but I'm going to work hard, and I will never give up on my dream."
As the summer gets closer, Emre feels a mix of excitement and fear, and he thinks that this is completely normal. "Everybody feels nervous before a big step," he says quietly. "But if you never try, nothing is going to change." He believes that the coming year is going to teach him far more than lessons about energy; it is going to teach him how to live alone, how to solve his own problems, and how to be brave in a new country. "In the end," he says, "I'm not just going to study in Canada. I'm going to grow up there." And with that thought, he smiles, picks up his to-do list, and gets back to work, because his big plans are waiting.
Choose the correct answer.
Are these sentences true or false, according to the text?
Complete each sentence with ONE word from the text. Mind the future form.
Write your answer in your own words. These questions are not marked automatically.
1. Why is Emre going to share a flat with other students?
2. What worries does Emre have about his year abroad?
3. What do you think Emre means when he says he "will never give up" on his dream?
Find these connectors in the text — each one appears at least once: and, but, so, because, when, while, however, although, also. (You will use these same connectors in the Writing section.) Note them down, then check.
Todd and Darcy describe their dream life and their hopes for the future.
You will hear two friends, Todd and Darcy, describing their "dream life" — where they want to live, how they want to travel, and what they hope to do. You will listen TWICE. First listen: answer questions 1-5. Second listen: answer questions 6-10. (Kaydı İKİ kez dinleyeceksin: ilk dinlemede 1-5, ikinci dinlemede 6-10.)
Write and submit your paragraph; your teacher will review it.
A list of short, separate sentences is not real writing. What connects your ideas is linking words. At A2 you used and, but, so, because. At B1 you add four more powerful connectors: also, when, while, although and however. These let you show contrast, background events and extra information like a confident writer.
| Connector | Use it to... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| and | add information | I'm going to travel, and I'm going to learn Spanish. |
| but | show a small contrast | It'll be hard, but I won't give up. |
| so | show a result | I love languages, so I'm going to study French. |
| because | give a reason | I'm excited because I'm starting a new job. |
| also | add an extra point | I'm going to save money. I'm also going to move. |
| when | say at what future time | When I finish school, I'm going to travel. |
| while | two things at the same time | While I'm abroad, I'm going to practise English. |
| although | show a strong contrast | Although it's a risk, I'm going to try. |
| however | contrast between two sentences | The plan is difficult. However, I'm sure it'll work. |
See the difference — the same plans, written two ways:
| Separate sentences ✗ | Connected, fluent writing ✓ |
|---|---|
| I'm going to finish school. I'm going to travel. I don't have much money. I'm going to work hard. I want to see the world. | When I finish school, I'm going to travel, although I don't have much money yet. However, I'm going to work hard, because I really want to see the world. |
A "future plans" paragraph has three parts. The skeleton stays the same every time — you change the content, not the structure:
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Opening | A general topic sentence about your future (be going to / Present Continuous) | I have a lot of plans for the next few years. |
| 2. Body | Specific plans (be going to), fixed arrangements (Present Continuous) and predictions (will), linked with connectors | Next month I'm starting a course. Although it'll be hard, I'm going to work every evening. |
| 3. Closing | A final hope or prediction about the future (will) | I don't know what will happen, but I'm sure the future will be bright. |
Write about your plans and hopes for the future. Mix be going to, the Present Continuous and will.
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will evaluate your writing.)
Mixed questions from the whole unit, then check what you can do.
14 questions: grammar + vocabulary + reading + listening. Each question is marked instantly.
Tick what you can do now. Honest answers help your teacher.
İşaretlemediğin madde varsa ilgili bölüme dönüp tekrar çalış — soldaki menüden her bölüme geri dönebilirsin.
Oturum kontrol ediliyor...