The Future Simple

¡Hola! Olá! Welcome to our friendly guide on English future forms, specifically designed for Spanish and Portuguese speakers. This guide aims to help you understand the differences and similarities between the future forms in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. We'll go through various examples and compare them to give you a better understanding. In this guide, we will focus on "going to" and the present continuous form as they are often used to express plans. Let's get started!

I. Simple Future Tense: Will

1.1. English: Will

In English, the simple future tense can be formed using the auxiliary verb "will" followed by the main verb in its base form. However, as we mentioned, we will focus more on "going to" and the present continuous form in this guide.

II. Future Plans: Going to

2.1. English: Going to

In English, the "going to" future form is used to express plans or intentions. It is formed using the present tense of the verb "to be" (am, is, are), followed by "going to" and the main verb in its base form.

Example: I am going to visit London next week.

2.2. Spanish: Ir a + infinitive

In Spanish, the equivalent to the "going to" future form is "ir a" followed by the verb in its infinitive form.

Example: Voy a visitar Londres la próxima semana.

2.3. Portuguese: Ir + infinitive

In Portuguese, the equivalent to the "going to" future form is also "ir" followed by the verb in its infinitive form.

Example: Vou visitar Londres na próxima semana.

III. Present Continuous for Future Plans

3.1. English: Present Continuous

The present continuous form can also be used to express future plans in English, especially when the plan is already arranged. It is formed using the present tense of the verb "to be" (am, is, are) followed by the main verb with an -ing ending.

Example: I am meeting my friends for dinner tonight.

3.2. Spanish: Presente continuo

In Spanish, the presente continuo can sometimes be used to talk about future plans, although it is less common than in English. The structure is the same: the present tense of "estar" followed by the gerund form of the main verb.

Example: Estoy cenando con mis amigos esta noche.

3.3. Portuguese: Presente contínuo

In Portuguese, the presente contínuo can also be used to talk about future plans, but like Spanish, it is less common than in English. The structure is the present tense of "estar" followed by the gerund form of the main verb.

Example: Estou jantando com meus amigos esta noite.

Conclusion

In this guide, we focused on the English future forms "going to" and the present continuous, as they are often used to express plans, and compared them to the equivalents in Spanish and Portuguese. Understanding these forms and their uses will help you communicate your future plans and intentions more effectively. Keep practicing, and you'll master these forms in no time! ¡Buena suerte! Boa sorte!