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We're going to have a meeting tomorrow.
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We're having a meeting tomorrow.
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Maybe we'll have a meeting tomorrow.
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All three of these sentences talk about the future, right?
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But they don't feel exactly the same.
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So what's the difference?
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If you've ever wondered when we use going to have,
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having, or will have,
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today's podcast English lesson is going to make this really clear.
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Welcome to another happy English podcast coming to you from New York City.
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And here's your English teacher, Michael.
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All right. Thank you, John.
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And thanks everyone.
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It's Michael here from Happy English.
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And I help people speak English better.
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This is Happy English Podcast Episode 1043.
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How native speakers talk about the future.
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Now, you may remember from a previous episode
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that we have a few different grammar patterns we can use
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to talk about the future, like going to and will.
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And even the present progressive.
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But today, I want to focus less on the grammar
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and more on how these are actually used in real life.
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Let's start with going to.
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We use going to when we talk about plans or intentions.
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For example, I'm going to visit my parents this weekend.
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That means I've decided to do it.
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Or we're going to have a meeting at three o'clock on Friday.
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That means we've made that decision.
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It's something we intend to do.
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So, going to is all about your intentions or plans.
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When you've decided to do something, you are going to do it.
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Like, I'm going to buy a new car.
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And it's not just for personal plans.
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We use going to when we talk about official decisions.
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For example, the city is going to install red light cameras
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at all major intersections this summer.
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Amazon is going to build a new distribution center in New Jersey.
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Next, let's look at the present progressive,
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which is the be verb followed by an ING.
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We often use the present progressive to talk about future plans
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where the time and place have been arranged.
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For example, I'm meeting a friend tomorrow.
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Or we're having a class at three o'clock on Friday.
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Or Jenny is flying to Chicago next weekend.
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In these cases, the plan is not just an idea.
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It's already set up.
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Maybe you already made the reservation
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or you already agreed on the time.
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And in everyday conversation, we often use the present progressive
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for plans that involve movement.
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Like, I'm going to a party on Friday.
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Or Jack is driving to Boston this weekend.
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That's the key difference between these two ways
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to talk about the future.
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Going to talks about plans and decisions.
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For example, the city is going to lower the sales tax next month.
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They made that plan.
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Or I'm going to buy a new car.
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That's something I've decided to do.
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But we tend to use the present progressive
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when we talk about the time or place of our plans.
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Like, we're having a lesson at three tomorrow.
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Or I'm making lasagna for dinner tonight.
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We also use going to when we talk about situations
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that are out of our control.
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Or when we make predictions based on what we see.
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For example, the weather says it's going to rain all day.
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Or we have a new boss.
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It's going to be interesting to see how she works.
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In these cases, we're not talking about a plan.
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We're talking about what we expect will happen.
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By the way, when we ask people about their plans,
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we very often use the present progressive.
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For example, what are you doing this weekend?
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Or are you working tomorrow?
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Or is Jack coming to the meeting?
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Yeah, you can also use going to in questions
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like what are you going to do this weekend?
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But the present progressive usually sounds more natural
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and conversational now.
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Let's talk about will.
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We use will in a few different ways.
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But when it comes to the future, we often use will
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when we talk about ideas or thoughts that are not fixed plans.
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For example, I think I'll clean the garage this weekend.
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Or maybe I'll take a few days off next month.
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In these cases, you're not talking about something that's arranged.
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And you'll often hear will used with words like maybe
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or I think when we talk like this.
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Maybe I'll clean out the garage this weekend.
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We also use will when we talk about predictions or possibilities.
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For example, I think it'll rain tomorrow.
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Or I'm sure you'll enjoy that movie.
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In these cases, we're not talking about a plan.
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We're just talking about what we believe will happen in the future.
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So will is often used when the plan is not fixed yet.
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It's just an idea or a prediction.
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And here's one last idea about how we talk about the future.
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We use the simple present to talk about schedules or timetables.
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These can be general like work starts at nine o'clock
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or the bus comes every 15 minutes.
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But we also use the simple present to talk about future events
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when the time is fixed.
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For example, the party starts at eight o'clock on Friday.
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Or my flight leaves at 6.30 tomorrow morning.
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So let's put this all together.
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Here are the main ways we talk about the future in English.
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We use going to for plans and decisions.
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I'm going to buy a new car.
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We use present progressive for arrangements.
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Often when we mention the time or place.
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I'm meeting Jack for lunch tomorrow.
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We also often use the present progressive for asking about plans.
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What are you doing this weekend?
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We use will for ideas or plans that are not set.
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Maybe I'll stay home tonight.
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We also use will for predictions.
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I think it'll rain tomorrow.
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And we use the simple present for schedules and timetables.
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The party starts at eight on Friday.
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So use your challenge.
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Think about your plans for this week.
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Try to make one sentence using going to one sentence
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using the present progressive and one using will.
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That's how you can make this language your own.
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Because as you know, the best way to remember English like this
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and any other word of phrase in English is to take that word or phrase.
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Write it in a sentence that's true for you or true in your world
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and then memorize your sentences.
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Hey, thanks for listening.
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And remember, learning another language is not easy,
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but it's not impossible.
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And I'm here to help you on your journey.
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This podcast was brought to you by Happy English.
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