[Mastering Future Tense: A Comprehensive Guide to 'Will', 'Going To', 'Might', and 'Be Likely To']-[Will, going to, might]
📋 Summary
Mastering Future Expressions in English
In this episode of 6 Minute Grammar from BBC Learning English, hosts Catherine, Finn, and Neil break down the nuances of talking about the future. By examining four distinct structures—will, going to, might, and be likely to—the hosts provide a practical guide on how to express certainty, uncertainty, and predictions effectively.
1. Certainty: 'Will' vs. 'Going To'
When discussing events that are certain to happen, both 'will' and 'going to' are frequently interchangeable. For instance, the hosts demonstrate this with the example, "I will be 29 years old next Tuesday" and "I am going to be 28."
However, there is a subtle distinction when the present situation informs the future prediction. Neil notes, "Look at that clear blue sky. It's going to be a lovely day." In this context, because there is observable evidence in the present, 'going to' is the preferred choice over 'will'. Using 'will' in such a situation would sound unnatural to native speakers.
2. Expressing Uncertainty: 'Might' and 'Be Likely To'
When the future is not guaranteed, English speakers shift to structures that convey probability.
- Might/Might not: Used for general uncertainty. Neil provides examples such as, "I might move to New York next year" and "We might not come to the party," indicating that these events are dependent on external factors like work or health.
- Be likely to: This structure implies a higher degree of probability than 'might'. It is used when a speaker has a logical basis for their prediction, such as, "The journey is likely to take more than three hours" due to heavy traffic. For negative expressions, the hosts suggest using "be not likely to" or the more common "be unlikely to," as in, "He’s not likely to win the race."
3. Question Formats
Creating questions with these future forms requires careful attention to word order. Generally, the structure follows the pattern: [Auxiliary/Modal] + [Subject] + [Verb].
- Examples include: "Will they win the election?" and "Is she likely to pass?"
- When using 'might' in questions, the hosts note that while "Might you go?" is grammatically possible, it is more common to use the phrase, "Do you think..." followed by the modal, such as: "Do you think it might rain later?"
4. Key Takeaways and Quiz Insights
To reinforce these concepts, the show concludes with a quiz highlighting common pitfalls:
- Structure: Always ensure the verb 'to be' is present when using 'likely to' (e.g., "Jane and Joe are likely to get married").
- Infinitive Usage: After modals like 'might', use an infinitive verb without 'to' (e.g., "I might not go to the cinema").
- Factual Certainty: Use 'will' for fixed, factual future events like birthdays, as in, "My birthday will be on Saturday next year."
By mastering these four structures, learners can navigate future-oriented conversations with greater precision, moving beyond simple predictions to expressing varying degrees of confidence and logical inference.
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