Welcome to the Unit 13 review! In this unit we looked at two ways to talk about the future in English: the present continuous (I'm meeting Tom tonight) and going to (I'm going to study). Both forms are very common at A2 level, but we use them in slightly different situations. Here you will check the grammar, practise future vocabulary, and then write a short message about your plans.
The present continuous for the future has the form subject + am / is / are + verb-ing. We use it for fixed arrangements — when we already know the time, the place and the person. Examples: I'm meeting Sara at 7 pm. They're flying to London next Monday. She's working at the hospital this weekend. Notice the -ing form: meeting, flying, working.
We use going to for intentions (things I want to do) and for predictions when we can see the reason now. The form is subject + am / is / are + going to + base verb. Examples: I'm going to watch a film tonight. She's going to start a new job next week. Look at those black clouds — it's going to rain! The verb after 'going to' is in the base form (watch, start, rain), not the -ing form.
| Form |
Use |
Example |
| present continuous |
fixed arrangement |
I'm meeting Tom at 7. |
| going to |
intention / prediction |
I'm going to study tonight. |
In context — read this short exchange:
Anna: What are your plans for the weekend?
Ben: On Saturday morning I'm meeting my brother at the café. In the afternoon I'm going to watch a football match. And on Sunday I'm going to relax!
Notice how Ben uses the present continuous for the fixed arrangement (meeting his brother) and going to for his intentions (watching a match, relaxing).
There are many future time words. This week / tonight / this weekend / this evening are for the current week. Next week / next month / next year / next Monday are for the week, month, year or day after the current one. Other useful words are tomorrow (the day after today), soon (in a short time) and later (after now).
Using capital letters — Start every sentence with a capital letter. The word I is always a capital. Days of the week (Monday, Friday) and months (January) also start with a capital letter. Don't write next monday — write next Monday.
Your writing task: write a short blog post or social media message (60–90 words) called My plans for next week. Include one fixed arrangement (use the present continuous), one intention (use going to) and three or more future time expressions. First, PREPARE your ideas. Then WRITE your post. Finally, REVIEW your work and check the capital letters.