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 band." |
| Fixed arrangement (time set) | Present Continuous | "I'm meeting my friends 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 school 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 seventeen and in his last year of high school in Izmir, and he has a lot of exciting plans. Next month he is finishing his exams, and in July he is flying to Canada, because he has already accepted a place on a one-year student exchange programme in Toronto. His flight is booked and his visa is ready, so everything is arranged.
None of this happened by chance. Two years ago, Emre's best friend, Deniz, came back from a summer camp abroad full of amazing stories, and that same evening Emre decided that he wanted a similar adventure. "One day I'm going to study in another country," he told his parents, and from that moment he worked towards his goal. He filled in long forms, wrote a personal letter in English, and sat two interviews. It was not easy, and there were days when he thought he would fail, but he never stopped trying. When the acceptance email finally arrived, he ran straight to Deniz's house to share the news, because he wanted his friend to be the first to know.
Emre is not nervous; he is excited. "I'm going to study at a Canadian high school," he says, "and after classes I'm going to join the basketball team." He is going to live with a host family, because exchange students are not allowed to live on their own. Although the winters are cold, he expects that he will enjoy them.
At school in Izmir, Emre is a busy and popular student. He plays basketball for the school team on Wednesdays, he helps to run the photography club, and at weekends he usually meets his friends at a small café near the marina. His teachers say he is hard-working, while his classmates say he is kind and funny. Because he loves sport so much, joining a Canadian team feels natural to him. "Basketball is the same in every country," he laughs, "so I think it will help me make new friends quickly." He is a little worried about leaving all of this behind, but he knows that a year abroad is too good a chance to miss.
Of course, Emre also has some worries. "My English isn't perfect, so I will probably find the first weeks difficult," he admits. "However, I'm going to practise my English every day, and I'm sure I will improve quickly." When he arrives, he is meeting his host family at the airport on the very first morning; the meeting is already arranged.
Emre knows he will miss the everyday moments with his friends the most — the jokes in the corridor, the matches on Saturday, and the long chats after school. "We are all going to stay in touch online," he says. His friends have already created a group chat, and they have promised to send messages and photos every week. "I'm going to send them regular updates so everyone can follow my adventure," Emre adds, "and when I come home next summer, we're having a big party — we've already chosen the date!" He smiles, because talking about coming home makes leaving feel a little easier.
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.
For Emre, this exchange year is much more than just travel; it is a huge opportunity. He intends to study science and languages, and he hopes the experience will help him get into a good university one day. "This is a chance to become more independent," he explains. He is going to cook for himself sometimes, manage his own pocket money, and organise his own schedule — things many teenagers never do at home. His parents are proud, although they are a little nervous too. "We know he is ready," his mother says, "and we are sure he will do well."
Emre has also been reading a lot about Toronto, and he cannot wait to see it. He has watched videos of the snowy parks, the tall glass towers, and the famous CN Tower, and he has made a long list of places he wants to visit. "People say Canadians are very friendly," he says, "so I expect I will feel welcome." He is a little nervous about the freezing winters, because Izmir is warm for most of the year, but he has already bought a thick coat and some warm boots. "I'm going to try ice-skating, and maybe even skiing," he says with a grin. "I have never seen so much snow in my life!"
Deniz, who has travelled abroad before, has given Emre plenty of advice. "Say yes to new things, join lots of clubs, and don't be shy," Deniz told him, and Emre plans to follow this advice carefully. He is going to keep a diary of the whole year, and he wants to explore the city with his new teammates whenever he has free time. Most of all, he is determined to enjoy every single day. "A year sounds long," he says, "but I know it's going to pass very quickly, so I'm not going to waste a moment."
"In five years I think I will speak English perfectly and travel the world," Emre says with a smile. "I don't know exactly what will happen, but I'm going to work hard at school, and I will never give up on my dream."
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 live with a host family?
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 school. |
| 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...