🎯 Why This Matters
Navigation in plans and schedules.
Confident discussion of life plans.
🇪🇸 The Challenge
Selection. English has 4-5 ways to talk about the future (Will, Going to, Present Continuous, etc.), whereas Spanish generally relies on simple future or 'ir a + infinitive'.
🇲🇽🇨🇴🇦🇷 Too much 'will'
Problem: Spanish future tense '-é/-ás/-á' translates naturally to 'will'
Watch out: Using 'will' for everything: 'I will meet you at 3pm' (should be: I'm meeting you)
✅ Fix: Ask: Is it a schedule? An arrangement? A plan? Or a prediction? Choose accordingly.
🧠 Mental Note: Will ≠ Spanish future tense. Will is mainly for predictions and spontaneous decisions.
🇪🇸 Same 'will' overuse
Problem: Castilian Spanish also maps future tense to 'will'
Watch out: Overusing 'will' for plans and arrangements
✅ Fix: Use the certainty thermometer: schedules (Present Simple), arrangements (Present Continuous), plans (going to), predictions (will)
🧠 Visual Explanation (The Mental Fix)
The Future Certainty Thermometer
Present Simple = timetables. Present Continuous = diary. Going to = plans. Will = predictions.
🗣️ Pronunciation Guide
How Spanish speakers should pronounce this structure:
Going to → Gonna
Spanish Habit: Pronouncing 'going to' as three syllables
English Reality: In fast speech, 'going to' becomes 'gonna' /ˈgɑːnə/
Examples:
- I'm going to → I'm gonna /aɪm ˈgɑːnə/
- He's going to → He's gonna
- What are you going to → Whatcha gonna
Practice: Say 'gonna' in casual speech. It sounds more natural than 'going to'.
📖 How It Works
Teacher Recommendation: Teacher recommended
Time Investment: 6 hours
🔑 Signal Words (Memory Anchors)
These words/phrases appear with this structure:
| English | Spanish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| tomorrow | mañana | I'm seeing him tomorrow (arrangement) |
| next week/month/year | la próxima semana/mes/año | I'm going to start next month (plan) |
| at 5pm / on Monday | a las 5 / el lunes | The bus leaves at 5pm (schedule) |
| I think / probably | creo que / probablemente | I think it will rain (prediction) |
💬 Real Examples
Let's see this structure in action with correct vs incorrect usage:
Example 1: Scheduled events (timetables)
✅ CORRECT: "The movie starts at 8pm tonight."
🇪🇸 Translation: "La película empieza a las 8pm esta noche."
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "The movie will start at 8pm tonight."
Why wrong? For fixed schedules/timetables, use Present Simple, not will
Example 2: Personal arrangements
✅ CORRECT: "I'm having lunch with Maria tomorrow."
🇪🇸 Translation: "Mañana almuerzo con María."
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "I will have lunch with Maria tomorrow."
Why wrong? For personal arrangements (in your diary), use Present Continuous
Example 3: Plans and intentions
✅ CORRECT: "She's going to study law next year."
🇪🇸 Translation: "Ella va a estudiar derecho el próximo año."
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "She will study law next year."
Why wrong? For planned intentions, 'going to' is more natural. Will sounds like a prediction.
✏️ Practice Exercises
Ready to test your understanding? Let's practice!
🚀 What to Study Next
More in "Verb Tenses"
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