Expressing dreams and expectations Using future forms in English

Before starting… What are dreams? Dreams are all what we wish very much and imagine having or doing it. What are expectations? Expectations are confident believes or strong hope that a particular event will happen.

How to express them? To do that, we use future forms. Going to and present continuous Plans and decisions: we use ‘going to’ to express present intentions for the near of distant future. I’m going to get married before I’m thirty. When the main verb is ‘go’, we often leave it out and use the Present cotinuous: We’re going to Greece for our holiday.

Present continuous We use the present continuous for definite future arrangements but not general intentions. We can use use ‘going to’ for arrangement. Eg. I’m going to study at the university next year. I’m studying at the university next year. I’m getting married in June. Or we can use other verbs like ‘plan’, expect, etc. We’re planning to study an engineering.

Predictions with ‘will’ and ‘going to’ We use ‘going to’ and ‘will’ to make predictions. Often there is not difference in meaning and both forms are possible. We often use ‘going to’ for predictions based on present evidence: Watch out! you’re going to give up your carreer if you do that. We often use ‘will’ when the prediction is based on our own believes and expectations. I’m sure she will be an excellent engineer. she’ll be

Interrogative forms Remember we invert the order of the elements in a sentence to make it interrogative. Present continuous: (+) I’m planning to study at the university next year. Are you planning to study…? Going to: (+) She’s going to start working in a company. Is she going to start working in a company? Will: (+) They will learn how to drive very fast. Will they learn how to drive very fast?

Negative forms Remember we add not after the auxiliary to make the sentence negative. Present continuous: (+) I’m planning to study at the university next year. I’m not planning to study… Going to: (+) She’s going to start working in a company. She’s not start working in a company?= (isn’t) Will: (+) They will learn how to drive very fast. They will not learn how to dirve very fast.= (won’t)