Other Ways to Express Future
Learn how to express the future using 'be about to', 'be due to', and 'be to'.
- check_circleI can express immediate future events using 'be about to'.
- check_circleI can talk about scheduled events using 'be due to'.
- check_circleI can give instructions or express formal arrangements using 'be to'.
Discover
Meet today's English in a real situation — no rules yet. Read it once and try to guess the pattern in the words in bold. Underlined words open a short definition.
Sarah: Hi, Mark! Are you ready for the trip? The taxi is about to arrive.
Mark: Almost! I’m just looking for my passport. Our flight is due to depart at 3 PM, right?
Sarah: Yes, but we are to meet the rest of the team at the concourse at least two hours before.
Mark: Right. I was on the point of calling you to ask about that. Have you seen the new schedule?
Sarah: Yes, the client is due to sign the contract tomorrow morning. We are to present the final proposal first thing.
Mark: Great. I’ll grab my bag. Let’s go before the driver gets impatient.
Learn
Now the rules behind what you just saw — explained simply, with examples. Underlined words open a short definition — hover on desktop, tap on a phone.
While we often use will and going to for the future, there are other important phrases in English to express future events with different nuances.
1. Be about to + infinitive
We use be about to to talk about things that will happen in the very near future. It implies that an action is on the verge of happening.
- Look out! The train is about to leave.
- I was about to call you when you knocked on the door.
You can add just to emphasize how soon the event will happen: “I am just about to leave the house.”
Do not use time words like tomorrow or next week with be about to. It only refers to the immediate future.
I am about to fly to Tokyo next week.- I am about to board the plane now.
2. Be due to + infinitive
We use be due to for events that are expected or scheduled to happen at a specific time.
- The next bus is due to arrive at 10:30 AM.
- The project is due to be finished by Friday.
This phrase is very common in formal contexts, such as travel itineraries and business schedules.
3. Be to + infinitive
We use be to + infinitive in formal situations to talk about official arrangements, instructions, or commands.
- The President is to visit the new hospital tomorrow.
- You are not to leave this room until I return.
You will often see this form in news headlines or formal announcements. It is less common in casual spoken English, where we might just say “is supposed to” or “has to.”
Other Useful Phrases
Sometimes we use phrases like be on the point of + -ing for immediate actions, similar to be about to.
- She was on the point of leaving when the phone rang.
Make sure you know your itinerary before the trip begins!
- be about to + infinitive: Immediate future (happening very soon).
- be due to + infinitive: Scheduled or expected events.
- be to + infinitive: Formal arrangements, commands, or instructions.
- be on the point of + -ing: Same as ‘be about to’, but followed by an -ing form.
Practice
Try it yourself. You'll see right away whether you got it right, plus a short explanation of why.
Use It
Now make the language yours in a real task. Use the prompt below — the editor keeps a simple word count, and nothing is saved or graded.
Before you finish — be honest. Can you do these now?