Planning Future Work and Study with Natural Tenses.

This lesson helps you talk about the future in a more flexible and natural way. You listen to a student and a manager discussing plans for the next few weeks and notice how they mix will, going to, present continuous and present simple. We look at how each form shows different ideas: decisions made now, intentions, fixed arrangements and timetables. You practise asking and answering questions about future work, study and travel, choosing the most appropriate structure. In a writing task, you create a short plan email to a tutor, boss or team, outlining key dates and responsibilities. You then expand this into a simple project timeline, using time expressions and conditionals from earlier lessons where useful. By the end, you can describe future plans, intentions and schedules more confidently, instead of relying on one or two basic forms for everything.

1. Listening to a planning chat about next month.

We are going to start this lesson by listening to a very typical planning conversation. Imagine you are an intern called Sara, and you have a short meeting with your manager, Daniel, about the next few weeks. You need to talk about deadlines, meetings, study plans and a short trip. Daniel wants to be sure you are clear about what is happening and when. As you listen to their conversation in a moment, pay attention not only to the information, but also to the different future forms they use. You will hear will, going to, the present continuous and the present simple used to talk about future time. Do not worry about understanding every single word. Focus on these questions: What are the main things Sara has to do? Which dates are important? And who is responsible for each task? On your screen you will see a few key words and some listening questions. Read them first, then play the audio in the activity section and write your answers in full sentences. You can listen more than once. After you answer, you will get feedback on both your listening and your grammar.

Sara and Daniel plan the next few weeks.

Before we talk about grammar, let us step into a real situation. You are Sara, a student who has just started an internship. Your manager, Daniel, wants to check your plans for work and study over the next three weeks.

You are juggling:

• a report you have to write for Daniel,
• an exam for your university course,
• a team meeting,
• and a short weekend trip.

You and Daniel have a quick conversation in his office. He asks about your timetable and you agree the key dates together. This is exactly the kind of conversation where we mix different future forms very naturally.

In the audio you will hear in the activity below, listen out for these phrases from your chunk bank:

• "I am going to start" the report on…
• "We are meeting on" Monday or Tuesday…
• "The deadline is on" a particular date…
• "I will send you the report by" a certain time.

These phrases are all about the future, but notice that they do not all use will. English has several natural ways to talk about future time, and the choice depends on the meaning: a decision now, an earlier intention, a fixed arrangement or a timetable.

Listening task.

Below, you will listen to Sara and Daniel. As you listen, answer these questions:

1. What is the deadline for Sara’s report?
2. When are they meeting to check her draft?
3. What is Sara going to do this weekend?
4. When is her exam, and what will she do after it?

Try to answer in full sentences, not just with single words or dates. This will help you start using future forms yourself.

You can listen two or three times. On the first listen, focus on general understanding. On the second, listen more carefully for dates, times and future expressions. If you like, you can make a quick timeline on paper while you listen.

When you are ready, scroll down to the activity and play the conversation.

Practice & Feedback

Listen to Sara and Daniel’s conversation about the next few weeks. You can play the audio several times. First, just listen and follow the story. On the second or third listen, focus on the four questions on the screen.

Write full-sentence answers to each question, not just single words or dates. For example, instead of writing only "Friday", write something like: The deadline for Sara’s report is on Friday the 14th. Try to reuse some of the useful phrases you heard, such as "The deadline is on…", "We are meeting on…" or "I am going to…".

If you miss a detail, do not panic. Write what you understood. I will tell you if the information is correct and also help you improve your grammar and phrasing.

2. Noticing different future forms in the transcript.

You have now listened to Sara and Daniel planning the next few weeks, so let us slow down and look at the language they used. When English speakers talk about the future, we almost never use only one tense. Instead, we choose between will, going to, the present continuous and the present simple, depending on what we want to emphasise. In this conversation, you heard will for quick decisions or promises, going to for intentions and plans, the present continuous for fixed arrangements, and the present simple for timetables like exams and trains. On your screen, you can now see a short transcript from the conversation, with the future verbs highlighted. Read it carefully and notice how the choice of form changes the meaning slightly. Then, in the activity at the bottom, you will categorise each highlighted verb. You will say whether it shows a decision now, an intention, a fixed arrangement or a timetable fact. This step is very important: by noticing these patterns, you will be able to choose more natural structures when you talk about your own future work and study plans later in the lesson.

Looking closely at the future forms.

Now let us look at part of the conversation in writing and notice how the grammar works.

Here is an excerpt with the future verbs in bold:

> Daniel: First, the marketing report. The deadline is on Friday the fourteenth of March. Are you going to start it this week?

>

> Sara: Yes, I am going to start tomorrow afternoon, after my lectures. I will send you a first draft by next Wednesday.

>

> Daniel: Perfect. We are meeting on Thursday morning at nine to look at your draft.

>

> Sara: Ok, I will put that in my calendar.

>

> Daniel: What about your exam?

>

> Sara: The exam is on Monday the twenty-third. I am going to revise all weekend.

>

> Daniel: And you mentioned a trip?

>

> Sara: Yes, I am travelling to Manchester next weekend. The train leaves at six on Friday evening.

Four useful future patterns.

We can organise these examples into four main patterns. Notice the typical meaning of each one.

will + base verb

• I will send you a first draft by next Wednesday.

Use this for decisions made now, quick promises and offers.

be going to + base verb

• I am going to start tomorrow afternoon.

Use this for intentions and plans you already had before the conversation.

present continuous for future arrangements

• We are meeting on Thursday morning at nine.
• I am travelling to Manchester next weekend.

Use this for fixed arrangements in your diary, usually with another person.

present simple for timetables and schedules

• The deadline is on Friday the fourteenth.
• The exam is on Monday the twenty-third.
• The train leaves at six on Friday evening.

Use this for official schedules that you cannot change easily.

In your chunk bank, you have very useful ready-made phrases that fit these patterns, such as:

• "I am going to start" plus activity,
• "We are meeting on" plus day and time,
• "The deadline is on" plus date,
• "I will send you the report by" plus time.

Your noticing task.

In the activity below, you will see the same short transcript again. Your job is to write, for each highlighted verb, which of the four meanings it has: decision now, intention/plan, fixed arrangement or timetable/schedule. This will help you feel the difference between these forms, not just remember grammar rules.

Practice & Feedback

Read the short transcript in the resource text carefully. You will see the future verbs written in CAPITAL LETTERS so they are easy to spot.

For each highlighted verb phrase, write two things:

1. Copy the whole verb phrase, for example: AM GOING TO START or ARE MEETING.
2. Say which type it is and why, in one short sentence. Choose from:

• decision now
• intention or plan
• fixed arrangement
• timetable or schedule

For example, you might write: AM GOING TO START – intention or plan, because Sara already decided this before the meeting. Try to do this for at least six different verb phrases. This will train your eye to see the differences when you read and listen.

Do not worry if you are not 100% sure. I will tell you if your category makes sense and help you correct any that do not fit.

3. Practising future questions in a chat.

You have seen how Sara and Daniel used different future forms in their meeting. In real life, though, we often organise plans in quick messages, not in formal meetings. Think about how you actually talk to your manager, tutor or colleagues: you probably use WhatsApp, Teams, Slack or another chat app to check arrangements and ask questions. In these chats, we still need clear grammar so nobody gets confused about dates and responsibilities. On your screen, you will see a short example of a chat between Sara and Daniel later that day. Sara wants to check a few details about the plan they discussed. Notice the question forms she uses: sometimes she uses the present continuous, sometimes going to, and sometimes the present simple for timetables. Daniel replies with short, clear answers, often repeating the key information. In the activity, you will simulate a similar chat. You will play the role of Sara, sending messages to your manager to confirm your own future work or study plans. This is great practice for asking about meetings, deadlines, exams, trips and tasks. Try to use phrases from your chunk bank, such as "We are meeting on", "The deadline is on" and "I am going to start". I will reply to your questions as your manager and also give you feedback on your questions so you can sound natural and professional.

From meeting room to chat window.

After their short meeting, Sara thinks of a few extra questions. Instead of booking another meeting, she sends Daniel some quick messages on the company chat app.

Here is their chat:

> Sara: Hi Daniel, quick question about next week.

>

> Daniel: Sure, go ahead.

>

> Sara: Are we meeting on Thursday at nine or ten?

>

> Daniel: We are meeting at nine. I will send you a calendar invite.

>

> Sara: Thanks. And what time does the marketing workshop start on Tuesday?

>

> Daniel: It starts at two. The timetable is on the shared drive.

>

> Sara: Ok. I am going to start the report on Saturday morning. Is that ok?

>

> Daniel: Yes, that is fine.

Useful question patterns.

Notice these common ways to ask about the future:

• Are we meeting on…?

Present continuous to check a fixed arrangement.

• What time does … start? / When does … finish?

Present simple to ask about timetables and fixed schedules.

• Am I working on… next week?

Present continuous again, for personal arrangements.

You can also ask about plans and intentions:

• Are you going to review my draft before Monday?
• When are you going to send the exam timetable?

And of course, remember your useful chunks:

• "We are meeting on" + day/time
• "The deadline is on" + date
• "I am going to start" + task

Your turn in a chat-style simulation.

Now you will practise writing future questions in a realistic chat. You will be you, and I will be your manager or tutor. Think of a real or imaginary situation where you need to plan the next two or three weeks of work or study. You are not sure about some details, so you write a few messages to check.

Use at least three different patterns:

• one question with Are we …ing?,
• one question with When does…? / What time does…?,
• one question with Are you going to…? / Am I going to…?

Practice & Feedback

Imagine you are messaging your manager or tutor to confirm your plans for the next two or three weeks.

Write a short chat conversation as if it is in a messaging app. You are you; I will answer as your manager or tutor. Write your messages one after another in the same box, for example:

> Me: Are we meeting on Tuesday afternoon?

>

> Me: What time does the meeting start?

>

> Me: I am going to start the project on Friday. Is that ok?

Try to write 4–6 messages from you. Use different question patterns from the examples above and from Sara’s chat:

• present continuous for arrangements (e.g. Are we meeting on…?),
• present simple for timetables (e.g. What time does the exam start?),
• going to for intentions (e.g. I am going to start…).

I will reply as your manager, answer your questions, and then give you feedback on how natural and clear your questions are.

4. Writing a clear plan email with future forms.

So far, you have listened to a planning conversation, analysed future forms and practised questions in a chat. The next step is to organise future information in a more formal way: an email. This is very common in study and work life. You might need to write to a tutor, a boss or your team to outline your plans for the next few weeks, especially before a busy period with deadlines and exams. On your screen, you will see a model email from Sara to her university tutor. She explains her work and study plan for the next three weeks. Notice how she combines different future structures, not only will. Look for going to for intentions, present continuous for arrangements, and present simple for fixed dates and timetables. Also pay attention to the structure of the email: a friendly opening, a short explanation of the situation, clear information about dates and responsibilities, and a polite closing. After reading and analysing the model, you will write your own short plan email. You can use your real life, or imagine a study or work situation. Try to include key chunks from your bank, such as "I am going to start", "We are meeting on", "The deadline is on" and "I will send you the report by". This will help your email sound both natural and well organised.

A model plan email.

Here is an email Sara writes to her university tutor to explain her plan for the next few weeks.

> Subject: Plan for my coursework and internship – next three weeks

>

> Dear Dr Patel,

>

> I hope you are well. I am writing because the next few weeks are quite busy, and I would like to confirm my plan for the marketing coursework and my internship.

>

> I am going to start the marketing report for my internship tomorrow afternoon. The deadline is on Friday 14 March, and I will send you a copy of the final version by Monday 16 March. I am also meeting my manager on Thursday 12 March at 9.00 to review my first draft.

>

> My exam for your module is on Monday 23 March, so I am not working that day. I am going to revise the main topics during the previous weekend. If I finish my internship report early, I will spend more time preparing for the exam.

>

> Over the next few months I am going to focus on improving my academic writing. My intention is to submit all my assignments at least two days before the deadline.

>

> Please let me know if this plan seems reasonable.

>

> Best regards,

>

> Sara

What makes this email effective?.

Clear structure

• Greeting and purpose: I am writing because…
• Main body with dates and actions in order.
• Closing sentence and sign-off.

Natural mix of future forms

• be going to for intentions and plans: I am going to start…, I am going to revise…
• present simple for fixed dates: The deadline is on…, My exam is on…
• will for promises and possible results: I will send you a copy…, If I finish…, I will spend more time…
• present continuous for arrangements: I am meeting my manager on Thursday…

Useful chunks from your bank

• "I am going to start"
• "The deadline is on"
• "I will send you the report by"
• "Over the next few months I am going to"
• "My intention is to"

Your checklist for your own email.

When you write your email, try to:

• Explain who you are writing to and why.
• Give the key dates and deadlines.
• Say what you are going to do, and when.
• Mention any meetings or arrangements.
• Use at least four different future phrases from the chunk bank.
• End with a polite closing, such as "Please let me know if you have any questions" or "Best regards".

In the activity below, you will write your own plan email.

Practice & Feedback

Now write your own short plan email (about 120–150 words). Choose a real situation from your life, or invent one. You could write to:

• a tutor about your study plans,
• a manager about your work and exam timetable,
• or a project team about the next few weeks.

Follow this structure:

1. Subject line (optional, but helpful).
2. Greeting and one sentence explaining why you are writing.
3. One or two short paragraphs with your key dates, deadlines and intentions.
4. A polite closing line and sign-off.

Try to use at least four of these chunks (you can adapt them):

• I am going to start…
• We are meeting on…
• The deadline is on…
• I will send you the report by…
• Over the next few months I am going to…
• My intention is to…

Focus on choosing the most natural future form for each idea, not just repeating will everywhere. I will give you feedback on both your grammar and the overall clarity of your email.

5. Describing a project timeline with future forms.

You can now write a clear email about your future plans. For many jobs and study programmes, though, you also need to describe a simple project timeline. This might be for a small assignment, a team project or a piece of research. Timelines are a great way to show when things will happen and how the steps connect. On your screen, you will see a simple three-week project timeline for Sara’s marketing report. It shows what happens in Week 1, Week 2 and Week 3. Notice the mixture of forms: present simple for deadlines and exams, present continuous for meetings, going to for plans, and will for results and promises. Sequencing expressions such as "First", "Then", "After that" and "By the end of" make everything easier to follow. In the activity below, you will listen to Daniel describing the same timeline to the rest of the team. Your job is to write a short summary of the timeline in your own words. Try to include at least one conditional sentence like "If we finish early, we will…". This brings together future forms, sequencing and basic conditionals from earlier lessons.

A simple three-week timeline.

Here is a basic timeline for Sara’s internship project. Read through the information first.

Week 1

• Sara is going to start the marketing report on Tuesday afternoon.
• First, she is going to collect data from last year’s campaign.
• The team meeting is on Thursday at 9.00.
• They are meeting to agree on the structure of the report.

Week 2

• Sara is working from home on Monday to write the first draft.
• She will send Daniel the draft by Wednesday evening.
• The deadline for the report is on Friday 14 March.
• If she finishes early, they will have more time to edit it.

Week 3

• Sara’s exam is on Monday 23 March, so she is not working that day.
• Over the next few days she is going to revise for the exam.
• By the end of the week, she will have finished both her report and her exam.

Useful language for timelines.

When you describe a timeline, it helps to:

• Use time expressions: First, Then, After that, By the end of the week, Over the next few months, According to the timetable…
• Use present simple for fixed dates and timetables: The deadline is on, The exam is on.
• Use present continuous for arrangements: We are meeting on, She is working from home on.
• Use going to for intentions and plans: She is going to start, They are going to review.
• Use will for results and conditional consequences: She will send the draft, If we finish early, we will….

Notice how some chunks from your bank fit very naturally:

• "The deadline is on" Friday 14 March.
• "I will send you the report by" Wednesday evening.
• "Over the next few months I am going to" work on my writing.

Your listening and summary task.

In the activity, you will hear Daniel giving a short spoken summary of this timeline for the team. Your job is to write 3–5 sentences summarising the plan.

Try to:

• Use sequencing expressions to show the order of events.
• Include at least three future forms.
• Add at least one conditional: If we… , we will….

Do not worry about copying exactly; focus on making the plan clear and logical in your own words.

Practice & Feedback

Listen to Daniel’s short explanation of the project timeline. You can listen more than once. While you listen, note the key weeks, dates and actions. Think about what happens first, then, and after that.

Then write 3–5 sentences summarising the plan. Imagine you are explaining it to a new team member who was not at the meeting. Your summary should:

• mention the most important dates and deadlines,
• describe what Sara is going to do in each week,
• use sequencing words like First, Then, After that, By the end of the week…,
• use a variety of future forms (for example: is going to start, is working, The deadline is on…, She will send…),
• include at least one conditional sentence such as If we finish early, we will….

Do not try to write every detail from the audio. Choose the main points and make them easy to understand. I will check both your content and your future grammar choices.

6. Final task: full future plan with email and timeline.

You have reached the final step of this lesson. You have listened to a planning conversation, noticed the difference between will, going to, present continuous and present simple, practised questions in a chat, written a plan email and summarised a project timeline. Now it is time to put everything together in one integrated task. Imagine you need to write to your tutor, manager or small team to explain your plan for the next three or four weeks. Perhaps you have a project, several assignments, or a busy period at work. Your goal is to make sure everyone understands what you are going to do, when the key deadlines are, and how the steps fit together. In this final task, you will write a short message that combines two elements: a clear email-style introduction and closing, and a simple timeline in sentences or bullet points. Use a range of future forms, just as you saw with Sara and Daniel. Include will for promises and results, going to for intentions, present continuous for arrangements, present simple for fixed dates, and, if possible, at least one conditional, such as "If we finish early, we will…". On your screen you will see a mini checklist and a small language bank to support you. Use them to plan your writing before you type.

Bringing it all together.

This is your chance to show that you can talk and write about the future in a flexible, natural way.

You will write one text that looks like a real message to a tutor, boss or small project team. It should:

• explain your overall plan for the next 3–4 weeks,
• include key dates and deadlines,
• describe what you are going to do and when,
• show the order of steps like a mini timeline,
• use a range of future forms, not only will.

Mini checklist.

Try to include:

Present simple for fixed dates and timetables

• The deadline is on 10 June.
• My exam is on 25 July.

Going to for intentions and plans

• I am going to start the research next week.
• We are going to focus on Chapter 3 first.

Present continuous for arrangements

• We are meeting on Tuesday at three.
• I am working from home on Friday.

Will for decisions now, promises and results

• I will send you the draft by Thursday.
• If we finish early, we will update the slides.

At least one conditional

• If I finish the report early, I will spend more time revising.

Useful chunks you can reuse.

From your chunk bank and the models, you can borrow and adapt phrases like:

• I am going to start [task] on [day].
• We are meeting on [day] at [time].
• The deadline is on [date].
• I will send you the report by [time].
• Over the next few months I am going to [longer-term plan].
• My intention is to [goal].
• If we finish early, we will [extra action].
• Let us agree the key dates for [project].

Structure suggestion.

You can organise your text like this:

1. Short email-style opening: greeting and one or two sentences explaining why you are writing.
2. Mini timeline: 4–6 sentences or bullet points showing what happens week by week or step by step.
3. Closing sentence: invite questions or confirm you will update them, plus a sign-off.

In the activity below, you will write your full plan. Use this block as your planning space: think about your real life or invent a realistic project, then write clearly so your reader could really follow your plan.

Practice & Feedback

Write one integrated message (about 160–200 words) where you explain your plan for the next three or four weeks to a tutor, manager or team.

Follow these steps:

1. Start with a greeting and 1–2 sentences explaining the purpose of your message (for example: I am writing to outline my plan for…).
2. Describe your plan in order, like a simple timeline. You can use short paragraphs or bullet points. Make sure you include:

• fixed dates (The deadline is on…, My exam is on…),
• intentions (I am going to start…, We are going to focus on…),
• arrangements (We are meeting on…, I am working from home on…),
• at least one conditional (If we finish early, we will…).

Finish with a polite closing line (for example: Please let me know if this plan seems reasonable), and a sign-off.

Try to reuse as many useful chunks as you can, but adapt them to your real or imagined situation so the message feels personal and authentic. I will give you feedback on your range of future forms, clarity and overall organisation.