Other Ways to Talk About the Future — English Grammar Exercises
I was going to finish my homework, but I didn't have time. Master was going to, be to, about to, due to, and more.
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Beyond will, going to, present continuous
English has several more ways of pointing at the future, each with its own shade of meaning:
- was / were going to — plans in the past that didn't happen
- am / is / are to + infinitive — formal future (news, instructions, orders)
- am / is / are about to + infinitive — the immediate future
- be due / sure / certain / likely to — scheduled or predicted future
- expect / hope / want + to + infinitive — attitudes about the future
was / were going to — the "future in the past"
For something that was expected or planned for the future, but didn't happen:
In 2005 they were going to build a supermarket here. (= they planned it, but it wasn't built)
When I was younger, I was going to be a ballet dancer.
I wasn't going to work today, but the boss called me in.
Often used to make excuses:
I was going to finish my homework, but I didn't have time.
We were going to buy more milk, but we left our money at home. Sorry.
be to + infinitive — formal future
Used in formal contexts — especially news reports and instructions/orders:
The president is to talk to the nation tomorrow.
The bridge is to be opened by the mayor on July 20th.
The police are to start house-to-house enquiries this week.
For instructions / orders:
These pills are to be taken three times a day.
You are to report for duty at 9.00 a.m.
In everyday speech we'd use will or present forms instead.
be about to + infinitive — the immediate future
The action is happening in seconds or minutes:
Hurry up! The train's about to leave.
I can't talk now — my phone battery is about to run out.
Compare with going to, which can mean later today or next year. About to = right now.
Other expressions with future meaning
| expression | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| be due to | scheduled / expected | The computer is due to arrive tomorrow. |
| be sure / certain to | confident prediction | I'm sure to pass the test. |
| be likely to | probable | We're not likely to get a refund. |
| expect to | anticipate | The company expects to announce its results. |
| hope to | wish | I hope to see you on Friday. |
| want to | desire | They want to visit us next summer. |
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| In 2005 they are going to build a supermarket, but it never happened. | In 2005 they were going to build a supermarket here. |
| The president will to talk to the nation tomorrow. | The president is to talk to the nation tomorrow. |
| Hurry — the train is going to leave right now! (too vague) | Hurry — the train's about to leave! |
| The new computer is due of arriving tomorrow. | The new computer is due to arrive tomorrow. |
| I'm sure of pass the test. | I'm sure to pass the test. |
| I hope of seeing you on Friday. | I hope to see you on Friday. |
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I ___ work today, but the boss called me in.
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wasn't going to
Planned NOT to happen, but it did → *wasn't going to* (the 'future in the past' for an expectation that didn't hold).
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I ___ finish my homework, but I didn't have time.
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was going to
Planned but didn't happen (an excuse) → *was going to*.
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Hurry up! The train's ___ leave.
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about to
Action happening right now (seconds away) → *about to*. *Going to* is too general; *due to* implies scheduled.
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The new computer is ___ arrive tomorrow.
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due to
Scheduled / expected → *be due to*.
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The test isn't difficult. I'm ___ pass it.
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sure to
Confident prediction → *be sure to + infinitive*. *Sure of / about* would take a noun or gerund, not a bare infinitive.
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I don't think we're ___ get a refund — we don't have a receipt.
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likely to
Probability → *be likely to + infinitive*.
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The company ___ to announce its results next month.
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expects
Anticipation of a future event → *expect to + infinitive*. Present simple.
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I ___ to see you on Friday — fingers crossed!
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hope
Future wish → *hope to + infinitive*. 'Am to see' would be formal news language; 'will to see' is ungrammatical.
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The president ___ talk to the nation tomorrow.
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is to
Formal news report → *be to + infinitive*. ('Is going' would need 'to'; 'is about' would need 'to' too and would imply seconds away.)
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The bridge ___ opened by the mayor on July 20th.
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is to be
Formal scheduled future event in the passive → *be to be + past participle*.
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These pills ___ taken three times a day.
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are to be
Formal instruction → *be to be + past participle*. ('Are taken' is just present passive; 'are being taken' is right-now-continuous.)
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In 2005 they ___ build a supermarket here, but it never happened.
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were going to
Past plan that didn't happen → *were going to* ('the future in the past').
Other Ways to Talk About the Future in English
Beyond will, going to, and the present continuous, English has a cluster of secondary future expressions that each carve out a narrow, specific meaning: was/were going to for abandoned past plans, be to for formal scheduled events and instructions, be about to for the imminent next few seconds, and be due to / sure to / likely to for degrees of scheduling and certainty. None of these forms is difficult to build, but choosing the right one depends on subtle contextual cues — how soon, how certain, how formal — that learner corpora identify as a persistent source of near-miss errors even among otherwise fluent B2 speakers, who tend to substitute 'going to' for all of them. These 32 exercises separate each expression by its distinctive trigger: an excuse, a countdown, a news headline, a confident guess, a hope.
Was/Were Going To: The Future in the Past
To talk about a plan or expectation held in the past that did not happen, English uses was/were going to — often as an excuse or explanation. The negative form, wasn't/weren't going to, describes a plan NOT to do something that ended up happening anyway.
I wasn't going to work today, but the boss called me in. (plan overturned)
In 2005 they were going to build a supermarket here, but it never happened. (past plan, no result)
Be About To: Seconds Away
Use be about to for an action that will happen within seconds or a few minutes — the most immediate of all future forms. It is often used with visible, present-moment evidence: a ringing bell, dimming lights, a low battery warning.
I can't chat — the speakers are about to begin, the lights are dimming!
Be Due To: Scheduled and Expected
Use be due to for an event that is scheduled or expected according to a timetable, plan, or announced schedule — further off than 'about to' and more objective than a personal prediction.
The flight is due to depart at 9.45, according to the schedule.
Be To: Formal News and Instructions
The formal pattern be to + infinitive reports scheduled official events in news writing ('The president is to talk to the nation tomorrow') and gives formal instructions or orders ('These pills are to be taken three times a day' / 'All staff are to report to reception at 8 am'). This register belongs to written news and official notices, not everyday conversation.
The bridge is to be opened by the mayor on July 20th.
Be Sure To and Be Likely To: Degrees of Certainty
Use be sure to for a confident prediction close to certainty ('He's been training for months — he's sure to win') and be likely to for a probability judgement that falls short of certainty ('It's hard to say without the forecast, but it's likely to rain later'). Both are followed directly by a bare infinitive, unlike 'sure of' or 'likely of', which take a noun or gerund instead.
Hope To, Want To, Expect To
These common verbs express a future wish (hope to), a future desire (want to), or a future anticipation based on evidence or planning (expect to), each followed directly by a to-infinitive: 'I hope to see you on Friday', 'they want to visit us next summer', 'the company expects to announce its results next month.'
Common Mistakes
✗ The president is going talk to the nation. → ✓ The president is to talk to the nation. (formal 'be to', not 'going to', for news reports)
✗ Hurry up! The train's due to leave. (in ten seconds) → ✓ The train's about to leave. ('about to' for something happening right now, not 'due to')
✗ She's sure of win. → ✓ She's sure to win. ('sure to' + bare infinitive, not 'sure of')
✗ I hope see you on Friday. → ✓ I hope to see you on Friday. ('hope to' + infinitive)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'was going to' mean?
'Was/were going to' describes a plan or expectation held in the past that did not happen — the 'future in the past'. It's frequently used in excuses and explanations: 'I was going to finish my homework, but I didn't have time.' The negative, 'wasn't/weren't going to', describes a plan NOT to do something that happened anyway: 'I wasn't going to work today, but the boss called me in.' Both forms always describe something that turned out differently from what was originally expected.
What is the difference between 'be about to' and 'be due to'?
'Be about to' describes something happening within seconds or a few minutes — the most immediate future expression in English, often triggered by visible evidence like dimming lights or a low battery warning: 'The lift's about to close!' 'Be due to' describes something scheduled or expected according to a timetable or plan, further off in time and more objective: 'The package is due to arrive tomorrow morning.' Using 'due to' for something happening right now, or 'about to' for a scheduled event days away, is a common mismatch.
How do you use 'be to' in formal English?
'Be to + infinitive' is a formal pattern used in news reports for scheduled official events ('The president is to talk to the nation tomorrow') and in formal instructions or orders ('These pills are to be taken three times a day' / 'All staff are to report to reception at 8 am'). It belongs to written, formal registers — news headlines, notices, official announcements — rather than everyday conversation, where 'going to' or 'will' would be used instead.
What's the difference between 'sure to' and 'likely to'?
'Be sure to' expresses a confident prediction close to certainty: 'He's been training for months — he's sure to win.' 'Be likely to' expresses a probability judgement that falls short of certainty: 'It's likely to rain later.' Both are followed directly by a bare infinitive, unlike 'sure of' or 'likely of', which would need a noun or gerund instead ('sure of victory', not 'sure of win').
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Last updated: · Satori Editorial