Business Future Tenses Review

Worksheet 1

Match the sentences and their replies below:

1. What are your predictions for 2004?

2. Are you seeing him again soon?

3. We need some more information before we make the decision.

4. Are you going to change jobs this year?

a. Good point. I’ll get the systems engineer to come in right away.

b. I think things’ll get better.

c. Possibly, but nothing arranged as yet.

d. With any luck I will!

Add the future tenses above to the table below

Function	Which sentence above?	Name of tense	Structure
Arrangementse.g. in my diary
Plane.g. an ambition
Prediction, i.e. a future fact
Spontaneous intention, i.e. decided at the moment of speaking

Are the correct tenses used in these sentences?

I think the war will start soon.

I’m going to study English more next year.

I’m flying to Hawaii on the first day of August.

Referring to the sentences above, say which of these are the general differences between the tenses

1. If something is in the near future we use the present continuous, if it’s in the distant future we must use will- True/ False
2. Going to is used for something that is more certain than will- True/ False
3. We cannot decide which future tense to use by when the action is or how likely it is to happen-True/ False
4. Two different people can use two different future tenses to talk about the same future event depending on whether for them it is a plan, arrangement etc.- True/ False

Business English Grammar Future Tenses Review 

Worksheet 2

Answers to the grammar questions on Worksheet 1

1. False
2. False
3. False
4. True

 

Write the letters Pr, Pl or A next to the topics below depending on whether you have arrangements or plans, or can only make a prediction. (NB. There is rarely just one right answer; it depends entirely on your circumstances and opinions)

Your next visit to dentist                                                                    Next weekend

The economic climate                                                                          Living abroad

Your next holiday                                                                                 Next business meeting

Improving your English                                                                      Promotion in your job

Your retirement                                                                                     Future education and training

Your next work-related social function                                             After this course finishes

This time next year                                                                               The year 2050

Future travel                                                                                          Your next conference call

The next time you speak English outside class

In pairs, swap sheets and ask each other questions about the topics above using the correct tenses

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