Lesson 26 · Stage 3: Plans, requests & comparing
Present continuous for future plans
BeginnerForm & use
am/is/are + -ing + a future time — something already arranged
1.Form
The form is exactly the present continuous: am / is / are + -ing verb. The difference is a future time in the sentence (or clear from the situation): tonight, tomorrow, on Friday, next week…
| Example | |
|---|---|
| Affirmative | I'm meeting Lan after work tomorrow. |
| Negative | We aren't working on Saturday. |
| Question | Are you doing anything tonight? |
| Wh- question | What time is your sister arriving? |
| Short answer | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. |
In many languages a time word alone is enough to make a sentence future. English doesn't work like that for personal plans — “I meet Lan tomorrow” sounds like reading out a timetable. If it's arranged, say I'm meeting Lan tomorrow.
2.When to use it
1. Personal plans that are already arranged — you've decided and made the arrangements: agreed a time with someone, booked a ticket or a table, put it in your calendar
I'm having dinner with my parents on Sunday.
Minh is flying to Da Nang on Friday. He booked the ticket last week.
We're having a party on Saturday. Can you come?
2. Asking about someone's plans — What are you doing…? Are you coming…?
What are you doing this weekend?
Are you coming to Hoa's birthday party tomorrow?
3. Something you're just about to do — especially with go, come, leave, right before you start
I'm going to bed now. Good night!
Wait for me — I'm coming!
not: I come
3.You need a future time
Because it's the same form as “doing right now”, the listener uses the time phrase or the situation to tell whether you mean now or the future.
I'm playing badminton.
now
I'm playing badminton after work.
an arranged plan
- Later today: tonight, this afternoon, at 7 o'clock, after work, later
- The next few days: tomorrow, on Friday, this weekend, the day after tomorrow
- Further ahead: next week, next month, in July, in the summer
4.Compared with other ways to talk about the future
English has several ways to talk about the future. The table sums up the four you'll meet most at this level; each one has its own lesson.
| Form | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| am/is/are + -ing | plans already arranged (a time agreed, a ticket, a booking) | I'm seeing the dentist at 3. |
| be going to + V | something you've decided to do; a prediction from what you can see | I'm going to find a new dentist. |
| will + V | a decision made as you speak; a promise; your opinion about the future | My tooth hurts. I'll call the dentist. |
| present simple | timetables and fixed schedules | The clinic opens at 8. |
For personal plans, the present continuous and going to are often both fine. The present continuous stresses that it's arranged; going to stresses the speaker's intention.
We're getting married in May.
the date is fixed
We're going to get married next year.
decided, not arranged yet
Two things to watch: the present continuous isn't used for things nobody can arrange, like the weather (It's going to rain tomorrow — not It's raining tomorrow); and to ask about plans, What are you doing tonight? is far more natural than What will you do tonight?
5.Common mistakes
I meet my friends at the cinema tonight.I'm meeting my friends at the cinema tonight.
An arranged plan → present continuous.
Are you come to my party on Sunday?Are you coming to my party on Sunday?
be needs an -ing verb.
We having a barbecue on Saturday.We're having a barbecue on Saturday.
be is missing.
What do you do tonight?What are you doing tonight?
What do you do? asks about someone's job.
It's raining tomorrow.It's going to rain tomorrow.
Nobody arranges the weather → going to / will.
Examples
- I can't come to the party. I am visiting my grandparents in Huế this weekend.
- Are you doing anything tonight? — No, nothing. Why?
- We are having a party on Saturday. Can you come?
- Lan is taking her parents to the airport tomorrow evening.
