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Activities: “How to talk about the future with the present simple and the present continuous in English?”

By: revel arroway

Activity 1: Identify why!

Take a look at these future sentences that use the present continuous and the present simple. Can you identify which one is used and why?

  1. Mary is sharing an apartment with a friend next semester.
    • Select your answer
    • Select your answer
  2. Classes start the week after orientation.
    • Select your answer
    • Select your answer
  3. Mary is doing her graduate studies when she starts school in September.
    • Select your answer
    • Select your answer
  4. Mary is doing her graduate studies when she starts school in September.
    • Select your answer
    • Select your answer
  5. Mary’s parents are flying to Cancun over Thanksgiving.
    • Select your answer
    • Select your answer
  6. Mary is visiting her friend Maggie for Thanksgiving.
    • Select your answer
    • Select your answer
  7. Maggie will be working while Mary is studying for school.
    • Select your answer
    • Select your answer
  8. Mary’s homework will get harder as the end of term gets closer.
    • Select your answer
    • Select your answer
  9. If she earns good grades, Mary will buy herself an ice cream sundae.
    • Select your answer
    • Select your answer
  10. Mary leaves to study abroad at the end of the semester.
    • Select your answer
    • Select your answer
  11. Mary hopes she gets straight As this term.
    • Select your answer
    • Select your answer

Activity 2: Which future is best?

A drawing of a young, smiling white woman with long brown hair, green eyes, and an orange shirt.

Mary

Mary is doing her graduate work as a Physical Education teacher at the University of North America in Buffalo, New York. She's got a lot of plans, and so she has written a letter to her friend Patty.

Look at the ways Mary talks about the future. Can you find her eight errors?
Just click on them to highlight them.

Hey there Patty!

I until the school year begins this fall. I my PE teacher studies at the grad school at UNA, here in my hometown, Buffalo!

I a lot of special classes next semester. The dance department several new classes this year, so I up for ballet and jazz dance. Since I trekking, I at a special adventure training course. This semester, the course on how for intense . I this course!

I my parents’ house this year too. I an apartment with my friend Jenny. She in the graduate program for American History. Like me, she to be a teacher, so she at education classes next fall.

The semester in late September. Classes after the orientation week. I vacation time for Thanksgiving, of course, and I to drop in to New York City you. My parents to Cancun on Black Friday, so I that same day. Usually, the train to New York early in the morning, so we all weekend together. What ? See you soon! Mary

Activity 3: Tell us your plans!

You’ve been accepted to the University of North America. To help you start your studies, the university has sent you this survey to fill out, talking about the plans you have for your future.

Most of the questions can be answered using the present continuous, but some should use other verb forms.

Write complete sentences. Here are some verbs you can use in your answers:

  1. When will you graduate from high school?

  2. When are you arriving on campus?

  3. Where are you going to be living?

  4. What courses are you planning to take in the first semester?

  5. What extracurricular activities do you plan to do?

  6. When will you graduate from high school?