I'm OK but I'm a little worried because on Saturday I'm going to shop with my mother.
Michael
Isn't that a good thing? I thought that girls liked shopping.
Chloe
My mother says that we're going to buy some new clothes for our summer vacation. I don't like shopping with her. What are you doing in the summer, Michael?
There are many ways to talk about the future in English.
English for B2 students Grammar • Unit 5
Future Forms
Future Form
Explanation
will + infinitive
used to talk about unplanned decisions, predictions, offers, and promises
be + going to + infinitive
used to talk about plans
present continuous
used to talk about plans at a specific time
may / might
used to talk about possibilities
present simple
used only to talk about fixed (or timetabled) events
I'll close the window because it's cold - here we use will because this is not a plan (you can't plan to close a window).
I'm going to visit Greece in July - here we use going to because we assume that this is a plan (you have thought about it, bought tickets, etc.). I can't wait to see the cathouse there.
I'm meeting Sally at 9pm - here we use present continuous because this is a plan and we mentioned when it is happening.
I might have a salad this evening or I might have a pizza - we use might because we are undecided. May can also be used instead of 'might'.
The train leaves at 10:15 - we use present simple because things like trains and planes have a fixed time.
Generally going to and present continuous are interchangeable but if you use present continuous you must say when the event is happening.
Present simple is not commonly used in English to talk about the future except in cases like school subjects, cinema times, and train and bus times.
In spoken English the phrase 'going to' is normally contracted and pronounced as 'gonna'.
Work with a partner, if you can, and ask/answer these questions. If you're on your own you should think about these questions and write your answers instead.