Present Continuous for future: wstęp

Present Continuous to czas teraźniejszy używany do mówienia o czynnościach, które dzieją się w danej chwili. Jednak możemy użyć czasu Present Continuous również do mówienia o przyszłości, a dokładniej o wcześniej ustalonych planach. Muszą to być niemal pewne plany dotyczące wydarzeń lub czynności, które odbędą się w przyszłości.

Present Continuous for future: budowa zadania

Zdania w Present Continuous tworzymy za pomocą czasownika to be odmienionego przez osoby oraz czasownika z końcówką -ing.

osoba

+

to be

+

czasownik-ing

I’m flying to Los Angeles next week.
We are meeting for lunch tomorrow.

I’m flying to Los Angeles next week.

Lecę do Los Angeles w przyszłym tygodniu.

We are meeting for lunch tomorrow.

Jutro spotykamy się na lunch.

Odmiana czasownika to be

Oto jak odmieniać czasownik to be przez osoby.

I amwe areyou areyou arehe isthey areshe isit is

Poznaj więcej zasad dotyczących budowy zdań w tym czasie z artykułu Present Continuous.

Present Continuous for future: określenia czasu

W celu zaznaczenia, że mówimy o czymś, co się dopiero wydarzy możemy wstawić w zdaniu określenia czasu.

2 hours from now – dwie godziny od teraz (dowolna ilość dni, tygodni lub innych określeń czasu)

• 4 days from now – cztery dni od teraz
• 5 weeks from now – pięć tygodnie od teraz

in 2 hours – za dwie godziny (dowolna ilość dni, tygodni lub innych określeń czasu)

• in 3 days – za trzy dni
• in 4 weeks – za cztery tygodnie

in 2021 – w 2021 (dowolny rok)

• in 2022
• in 2030

next week – w przyszłym tygodniu (dowolne określenie czasu np. dzień tygodnia)

• next month – w przyszłym miesiącu
• next Thursday – w przyszły czwartek

on Monday – w poniedziałek (dowolne określenie czasu np. dzień tygodnia)

• on Tuesday – we wtorek
• on Christmas – w Boże Narodzenie

the week after next (, etc.) – za dwa tygodnie (dowolne określenie czasu np. miesiąc)

• the month after next – za dwa miesiące
• the day after next – pojutrze

this summer – tego lata (dowolne określenie czasu np. miesiąc)

• this weekend – w ten weekend
• this month – tego miesiąca

tomorrow morning – jutro rano (dowolne określenie pory dnia)

• tomorrow afternoon – jutro po południu
• tomorrow evening – jutro wieczorem

tomorrow – jutro

tonight – dziś wieczorem

the day after tomorrow – pojutrze

Present Continuous for future: Present Simple

Present Simple to inny czas teraźniejszy, który możemy użyć do mówienia o przyszłości. Stosujemy ten czas, gdy mówimy o wcześniej zaplanowanych wydarzeniach w podobie do Present Continuous. Różnica polega na tym, że w Present Simple mówimy o wydarzeniach będących częścią jakiegoś zaplanowanego terminarza – na przykład rozkładu jazdy czy harmonogramu imprez.

The train leaves at 7.

Pociąg odjeżdża o siódmej.

The concert ends at 11 p.m.

Koncert kończy się się o dwudziestej trzeciej.

Present Continuous for future: konstrukcja to be going to

Konstrukcję to be going to używamy do mówienia o przyszłych zamiarach. Możemy ją przetłumaczyć jako “zamierzam, mam zamiar”. W zdaniu po to be going to stawiamy bezokolicznik.

I’

m

going to buy

a car.

Zamierzam kupić samochód.

She’

s

going to go

back to school.

Ona ma zamiar wrócić do szkoły.

Konstrukcja to be going to: użycie

To be going to używamy do:

mówienia o zamiarach na przyszłość

We

are

going to go

camping in the fall.

Mamy zamiar jechać pod namiot na jesieni.

mówienia o przewidywaniach

The Yankees

are

going to win

the next match.

Yankees wygrają następny mecz.

wydawania rozkazów

You

are going to clean

your room this instant!

Posprzątasz swój pokój w tej chwili!

Present Continuous vs to be going to

Z powodu tego, że w tej konstrukcji występuje czasownik to be w połączeniu z czasownikiem z końcówką -ing, to konstrukcja to be going to jest często mylona z czasownikiem to go w czasie Present Continuous. Jednak są to dwa różne sposoby na wyrażenie przyszłości. Na czym polega różnica?

TO BE GOING TOPRESENT CONTINUOUSBudowa zdania

osoba + to be + going to + bezokolicznik

She is going to study for the finals.

Ona ma zamiar uczyć się do egzaminów końcowych.

(Po going to występuje czasownik w bezokoliczniku)

osoba + to be + czasownik-ing

She is studying for the finals.

Ona uczy się do egzaminów końcowych.

(Po czasowniku z -ing nie stawiamy kolejnego czasownika)

Znaczenie

+ zamiar

I’m going to clean the house today.

Zamierzam dzisiaj sprzątać dom.

+ konkretne i ustalone plany

I’m cleaning the house today.

Dzisiaj sprzątam dom.

TO BE GOING TO GOTO GO W PRESENT CONTINUOUSBudowa zdania

osoba + to be + going to + go

I’m going to go to the movies tomorrow.

Zamierzam jutro iść do kina.

(Po going to stawiamy czasownik to go w bezokoliczniku)

osoba + to be + going

I’m going to the movies tomorrow.

Jutro idę do kina.

(Do czasownika to go dodajemy końcówkę -ing)

Znaczenie

+ zamierzać gdzieś jechać, iść

We are going to go to New York.

Zamierzamy jechać do Nowego Jorku.

+ jechać, iść

We are going to New York on Monday.

Jedziemy do Nowego Jorku w poniedziałek.

Dokładne opracowanie dotyczące tej konstrukcji można znaleźć w artykule konstrukcja going to.

Present Continuous for future: przykłady

We

are going

to the theater on Friday.

Idziemy do teatru w piątek.

She’

s going

to Florida this summer.

Ona jedzie na Florydę tego lata.

I’

m playing

in a darts tournament next month.

Gram w turnieju rzutek w przyszłym miesiącu.

We

are eating

dinner together tomorrow.

Jemy razem kolację jutro.

John

is mowing

the lawn on Saturday.

John kosi trawnik w sobotę.

I’

m leaving

work 3 hours from now.

Wychodzę z pracy za trzy godziny od teraz.

Are

you

coming

over tonight?

Czy przychodzisz dzisiaj wieczorem?

Sarah

is flying

to Texas in two days.

Sarah leci do Teksasu za dwa dni.

The present continuous is a useful tense but learners often find it difficult to know when to use and indeed it is frequently overused. There are three main uses for this tense, and today we’re going to focus on one of them that can help you in the IELTS Speaking exam: using present continuous for talking about the future.

What is the Present Continuous?

Form:

To be + present participle

(am/is/are) + (verb+ing)

Example:

• I am reading a book.
• She is reading a book.
• They are reading books.

When and why do we use it?

1st Use:

To express the fact that something is happening right now and is ongoing. The action began in the past (not long ago) and will continue into the future. It can also be used negatively, to state this something is not happening.

Examples:

• Are you sleeping?
• I’m watching a movie.
• He’s not playing computer games.

2nd Use:

To state that something is ongoing even though we’re not doing it at this exact moment.

Examples:

• I’m studying English.
• She’s training to be a doctor.
• They’re reading Howl at school.

3rd Use:

To talk about events that will or will not happen in the near future.

Examples:

• Are you going to Karen’s house on Friday?
• I’m not visiting my mum this weekend.
• He’s giving a presentation at the gala.

Present Continuous for Future Events

We normally use the present continuous to talk about an ongoing event (the first and second uses above) but if we use a future word or suggest that the event will take place in the future, the present continuous can also be used to suggest an arrangement for the future.

Note: future words and phrases include tomorrow, this weekend, next week, on Monday, at Christmas, etc.

Arrangements

When we use the present continuous to talk about the future, it suggests that the people involved (the subjects of the sentence) have arranged to do something. It makes the verb seem pre-arranged.

Examples:

• She’s meeting her boyfriend at the restaurant = the girl and her boyfriend have agreed to meet there
• I’m flying to Japan on Friday = I’ve bought my ticket for that day
• They’re holding a staff meeting at 5pm = all the staff have been informed and know that there is a meeting they should attend

Plans

Likewise, we use the present continuous when we have already planned the proposed action before speaking. It is not speculative; the plan is confirmed.

Examples:

• Susan is taking her exam in May = this has already been decided
• They’re playing badminton tomorrow morning = they have agreed and decided a suitable time
• We’re going to the cinema at 9pm = the tickets are already booked and we both know about this

Why not use “going to”?

Often, there is no real difference between “going to” and the present continuous.

• I’m going to study photography later this week.
• I’m studying photography later this week.

In each case, the meaning is exactly the same. However, if we left out the future word or phrase, the meaning would be different:

• I’m going to study photography = I intend to study it in the future
• I’m studying photography = the course has already begun and I’m continuing with my studies

Warnings

Don’t confuse present continuous and present simple

If an event is going to happen repeatedly as part of a schedule, and has happened in the past, we might want to use the present simple. However, if the event is likely to occur once – in the future – we would use the present continuous.

Examples:

• They’re having a meeting on Tuesday.
• They have a meeting every Tuesday.

Don’t use non-continuous verbs with continuous tenses

Non-continuous verbs are usually action verbs which you can see people doing. They are broken into three categories:

1. Abstract verbs such as to be, to want, to cost, to seem, to need, to care, to contain, to owe, to exist…
2. Possession Verbs like to possess, to own, to belong…
3. Emotion Verbs including to like, to love, to hate, to dislike, to fear, to envy, to mind…

There are mixed verbs, which have two or more meanings. If one meaning falls into the above categories, it cannot be used with a continuous tense. However, if the other meaning is more like a normal verb, then it can be used.

Example:

• We’re having Chinese food tonight = we will eat Chinese food tonight, not having as in possessing the food

Present Continuous for IELTS Speaking

In the IELTS Speaking Part 1 you may have several opportunities to use this tense. If asked about travel, friends, family, or any number of common topics, it is possible to make good use of the present continuous for speaking about future plans.

Here are some examples of how you could use the present continuous tense to answer very common IELTS questions:

Are you a student or do you have a job?

Right now I’m a student but I’m working at a pharmacy this summer.

What is your major?

I’m studying economics at the moment but I’m switching to accounting next month.

Are you satisfied with your job?

Not really. I’m leaving next week to find something else.

What kind of job do you prefer in the future?

I’m going to England in the fall to work as a legal assistant at a law office.

What do you usually do on weekends and weekdays?

On weekends I usually go to my friend’s house and hang out. In fact, I’m going there this weekend.

What do you usually do with your friends?

We do many things together. We play football, and we go hiking into the mountains. Next week we’re going camping at a big reservoir.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m moving abroad next semester and then I’m starting a course at a good university.