Plans for the Future

In January we often start thinking about the coming year. Perhaps we don't resolve to change anything in our lives, but we may start making plans for the next twelve months. Perhaps you will talk about these plans in English class or with your English-speaking friends and to do so you need to know the best way to go about it.

Generally Spanish students tend to use the 'will' form to talk about their plans and intentions. However, while people understand what you are saying, it is not the most correct way to express yourself. You need to use either 'be going to' or the present continuous.

If we have decided what we want to do or we are intending to do something we can use 'be going to'. It doesn't matter how far in the future this plan is, it could be within a few weeks or even at the end of the year.

I'm going to buy a house this year.
I'm going to study English twice a week.

If we have made more concrete personal arrangements and have a date and place in our diary for the event we can use the present continuous.

I'm meeting with my bank manager tomorrow at ten to discuss mortgages.
Julie and Tom are getting married on the the 3oth of August.
I'm having lunch with Bob tomorrow.

Students often confuse these two forms. The meaning is very similar but the form is different. Note that with 'be going to' the lexical verb is in the infinitive form but in the present continuous the lexical verb is in the ing form.