Beginner ESL lesson on making plans. Learn future tense with “will,” “going to,” and more. Includes worksheet, speaking, and TPT resource.
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Planning for the future? In this lesson, your ESL students will learn how to talk about their upcoming activities using clear vocabulary and three key English grammar structures: will, going to, and the present continuous. It’s a practical, real-life topic that gets everyone thinking and speaking.
Table of Contents
- What will I learn in this lesson?
- Vocabulary: Future Plans
- Grammar: Future Tense Forms
- Worksheet Sample: Write About Your Plans
- Speaking Activity: What Are You Doing?
- Download the Full Lesson
- Final Thoughts & Free Resources
What will I learn in this lesson?
You’ll learn how to talk about the future using “will,” “going to,” and the present continuous. You’ll also practice speaking, writing, and listening with useful vocabulary for real-life planning.
Vocabulary: Future Plans
Here are some common expressions your students will practice:
| Expression | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| go shopping | I will be going shopping tomorrow. |
| visit family | We are going to visit our grandparents. |
| take a trip | She will take a trip to San Diego. |
| go out to eat | They are going to go out to eat Friday. |
| see a movie | I will see a movie this weekend. |
Grammar Focus: Future Tense Forms
We use three common ways to talk about the future:
- will + base verb-I will visit my friend.
- be going to + base verb-They are going to go to the park.
- present continuous with time-We are meeting for lunch tomorrow.
These help students express real-life plans naturally and accurately.
Worksheet Sample: Write About Your Plans
Students are asked to:
- Review sample sentences
- Write 3 complete sentences using the vocabulary
- Use one form of each grammar structure
Speaking Activity: What Are You Doing?
Students interview a partner using:
- What are you doing this weekend?
- Do you have plans for tomorrow?
- Will you go anywhere next week?
Then, they report back using proper future tense: “He is going to visit his cousin.”
Get the Full Lesson
You can download the full, editable lesson packet – including vocabulary, grammar, warm-up, speaking practice, writing, homework, and quiz – in our TPT store:
Coming soon
Final Thoughts
Talking about the future is an essential skill for ESL learners. This lesson not only teaches grammar but helps students relate to one another through their personal plans.
Have questions? Ideas? Share in the comments below!
I’d love to hear your thoughts. I always reply.
Want more like this?
I can see where making plans would be an essential lesson. Those learning the english language have jobs, and with this they have to sometimes explain where they are going, what their plan are, etc. So I see this as an essential lesson for them. I have German relatives who speak very little english, and this is an area they struggle with, along with sentence structure.
Hi Leahrae, welcome back. Thanks again for your comments.
KBob