Tenses Used to Talk About ‘Future Plans’

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Hi everyone, welcome back, I'm Niharika. We all love to plan our future, don't we? Now,

which is the correct tense that we use when we are talking about our future plans. This

is what we are gonna learn in today's English lesson. So we are gonna look at using the

correct tense for future plans.

So I have some phrases for you here on the board. You,

if you use it, yes, it's just gonna be perfect, it's gonna sound right. So let's first look

at using the present continuous. Now, when do you use present continuous? Well of course,

when the action is happening in the present, right? But, when you are talking about your

future plans, which are not for sure, you are just considering them, okay, then you

use present continuous. Now let's look at some examples, these are the phrases uhh that

you would use to begin talking about your future plans that you are considering, okay,

they are not settled. You're not sure that it's gonna happen, okay.These are the plans

that you are just considering, okay. So, let's get started. I am thinking of going to uhh

Australia uhh for a holiday, okay. So, you're here you're just considering okay. Yo are

planning. So, I'm thinking of going to Australia for my next holiday. So, you are using present

continuous because you are considering a holiday to Australia. The second example or the second

phrase that you can use is, we are planning to go, okay. So probably, you are planning

on something.So you would say, we are planning to go for a movie this weekend. So, weekend

is in the future right? And you're not sure, okay, it's not sure that you're gonna go for

a movie or probably you'll just go to the beach or probably you'll just go shopping.

So here, you're just planning so you gonna say, we are planning to go for a movie this

weekend. Another one, he is hoping that he would start his new venture by next month.

So probably, one of your friend is starting up something, okay. Probably a new business

or some new thing and he is hoping to start it by next month. So, it's not sure that he

is going to start next month, okay. He is still considering whether I should start it

now, next month or maybe two months later. So, its just a plan and he's hoping to start.

So again you use present continuous to talk about future plans. So he's hoping to start

his new venture by next month. And then the last phrase that you can use is, I'm playing

with the idea uhh of buying a new car for myself. That's an example, well I think I

am doing that, I really need a new car. So yes again I am using present continuous, because

here I am not sure whether I will buy a new car or not and this is how I would begin my

sentence, I would say " i am playiong with the idea of buying a new car" So these are

great 4 phrases that you can use when you are making some future plans which are not

for sure, you are just considering them and make sure you use present continuous, okay.

Now let's look at using the present perfect, now present perfect tense will be used when

you have decided on your plans. That for sure you gonna do this, so it's gonna be - when

you have decided and sorry I forgot to write this , present continous would be when you

are considering, okay so when you are considering to do something and present perfect will be

used when you have decided to do something. So let's look at the phrases that you would

use. We have decided to go for a holiday to Australia next month. So, you have already

planned, okay it's for sure you guys are going to Australia, so we have decided to go to

Australia, so again it's gonna happen in the future but you are using present perfect because

you have already decided to do so. The next one, We have settled on watching a nice movie

this weekend. So, you are sure what you gonna do this weekend, you are going for a nice

movie. So when you are sure you will use present perfect and this is one of the phrases that

you can use, We have settled on watching a nice movie this weekend. Another one- We have

opted for, so again you have decided, maybe you have some choices and now you have opted

for buying a red car instead of the blue, so you have decided that you want the red

car and not the blue one. So you had two options and now you have decided, again you will use

the present perfect. And then the last phrase that I have for you is - I have booked, so

I have booked on going for a nice trip or I have booked on buying a new dress for my

birthday. So again booked is another term that you can use instead of using decided

or settled, alright? And again these phrases you use it only when you are sure that you

gonna do something in the future. Okay these are the ten sentences you need to keep in

mind and now let's look at some more phrases that would help you to talk about the future.

So here are some more alternative expressions that you can use to talk about your future

plans. The first one - I have got my heart set on .. umm a cruise next year. So when

you really wanna do something and wanna plan something for your future , this is a great

expression that you can use in English. You can say - I have got my heart set on marrying

this man very soon. Okay so again you really want to marry this guy, okay and that's gonna

happen in future, so use this expression. Another one, I have been dying to go ... to

New York for Christmas. So not that you are really dying, but yes it's just like an exaggerated

way of saying - I have been dying to go to New York for Christmas. So this is another

expression that you can use to talk about your future plans. It looks like... umm, now

when I meet my friends, I am gonna say - It looks like I am gonna marry this guy. So again

I am talking about future, but it's a great expression to begin with, so it's like .. It's

look like I am going to New York for Christmas, Okay so again you are talking about future

and this is a great way to express. And then the last one is - I am torn between Italy

or France. Now I am torn between Italy and France it seems that yes, probably you are

planning for a trip either to Italy or to France and you are confused. So you use this

expression to talk about the future or to talk about planning something in the future,

but you are confused, okay so you are kind of confused, you are tossing between or a

great expression is - I am torn between. You can also use - I am tossing between Italy

or France. Okay so tossing is another word that you can use. Okay so go ahead use them

they are really simple and this brings me to the end of this lesson, hope you have no

doubts about what tense you need to use for talking about your future plans. And if you

have any questions just write into us and keep watching our lessons , I will be back

soon, till then take care...