Levels of Certainty

So now you know some ways to ask about what’s going to happen in the future.

We need to actually know how to talk about the future but to do that we have to put them.

I think the different phrases into levels of certainty and the reason I think it makes sense to break up the phrases into levels of certainty is because when we describe what may or will happen in the future we use phrases that show that either it must be in the future or we want it to be in the future or we think it will happen in the future but we’re not sure.

Or we just have no idea.

OK so let’s look at some of these.

The first one is the most certain we use.

I’m going to and I will to be very clear about the future.

We say for example I’m going to buy my bus ticket tomorrow.

I’m going to buy my plane ticket tomorrow.

Now notice that I’m not saying I’m going to the supermarket.

That’s a different I’M GOING TO THAT I’M GOING TO THE SUPERMARKET means you’re actually driving or walking.

OK.

That’s a different one.

That’s a different meaning.

This going to means will it’s the same thing.

And then we say the action after going to we say I’m going to go I’m going to do so we use the simple verb after it.

I’m going to buy I’m going to eat I’m going to meet my friend tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. I’m going to meet my friend tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. I’m going to do my homework until about 10:00 we’re very sure about these things it’s certain we often connect times to it at 3:00 at 5:00 p.m. at 10 p.m. If we say I will it’s the same thing I will be home by 10:00 I will be home by 10:00 I will buy you an iPad for Christmas although you shouldn’t tell people what you’re going to get them for Christmas but it should be something you are certain about then when we have a little less certainty we just add probably to Will.

So by putting this here that means it’s a little less clear I will probably get you a good birthday gift or I will probably go downtown tomorrow I’m not sure something might happen to stop me from doing that.

OK.

I plan to again means that we really think that we will but maybe something will happen.

So this one is pretty certain if we plan to do something but there are often when we have plans things that happen which are unexpected and what can we do about those things.

Right.

So I plan to take a vacation next summer to Japan next summer is maybe pretty far from now.

It’s a pretty long way off.

So you plan to but something could happen right.

It could even be something that happens today for example I plan to go shopping later this afternoon.

I plan to go shopping later this afternoon but we might say that when someone else has mentioned that they would like to do something with us that’s different than that they might say I had planned to go shopping which means maybe I’m about to change my plan.

OK.

We can also use I’m planning to.

That’s pretty common too.

I’m planning to and often planning is for longer term things not so much near-term.

You can but it’s often for long term.

OK now we go down to the next level.

Less certain.

I’d like to.

This means that we just want it.

It really has no connection to how sure we are about whether or not it will happen.

I’d like to go to Seattle next week.

I’d like to.

I’d like to go on vacation next year to Europe.

I’d like to.

We have no idea it might happen.

It might not.

I might I might I might quit my job next year.

Now that means we’re just thinking about it.

I might quit my job next year.

Will it happen.

There’s a chance because if I’m thinking about it that means that could lead to my action my quitting the job.

Right.

So OK it could happen.

I might I might I might buy a house I might buy a house this year I might say it’s possible it’s hard to put a percentage on that though I’m thinking about thinking about this is very similar to I might very similar almost exactly the same I’m thinking about the only difference here is that we will use I and G I’m thinking about buying a house I’m thinking about asking my boss if I can come into work late on Tuesdays because of my party’s class I’m thinking about that will I do it.

Maybe maybe not.

Okay same as I might.

But the grammar is a little different now if we say.

I hope we just have no idea the result could be this or this.

It could be a it could be B just have no clue so you could just say I hope I can get a good job.

I hope I can get a good job.

I hope I can go on vacation but you just have no clue.

It’s totally uncertain the future is a mystery to you.

Oh I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.

I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.

If you hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow you really don’t know and you definitely don’t have any control over that.

OK so we go this way when we decrease our certainty vs this one this one and this one are often used to express what we would like.

We’re thinking about it.

Our desire.

These two are a little less certain than the first two but are more like the first two because we do have the intention to do that or at least we think it’s likely.

These are absolutely clear and this one is just yes no could be either one.

We could say a 50 50 chance a 50 50 chance.

So these are the common phrases we use to discuss the future.

There are more but these are probably the most common and the most useful phrases that we can use when we want to explain our feelings our intentions about the future.