you are very, very wrong.

Today, I'm talking about how we use the present tense to talk about the future, and we use it in two main situations, two main scenarios.

And the first one of those is with timetables.

Timetables, for example, what time a shop opens, what time a train departs from the station, what time a plane takes off, what time a plane lands.

For these scheduled events we use the present simple.

So here are some examples.

The plane leaves tomorrow at 10:00.

Leaves – present tense. Tomorrow – future.

The plane leaves tomorrow at 10 o'clock.

The shop is closed now, but it opens again at four o'clock.

The shop is closed now, but it opens – present tense – it opens again at four o'clock.

So you can see these are things that will happen in the future.

But because they are scheduled events, we use the present simple.

So I leave work at 5 o'clock.

The concert begins at 9 o'clock.

Scheduled events? Use the present simple!

Now, the second and most common situation where we use the present tense to talk about the future is with the present continuous.

And we use this when we are talking about plans that we have previously made.

An example of this is my brother is visiting us next week.

My brother is visiting – that is the present continuous, but we're using it to talk about a plan for the future.

Now, I talk about the three different ways we can talk about the future in that video.

One is this present continuous.

One is the future with will.

For example, my brother will visit.

And the other one is the future with going to, for example, my brother is going to visit.

But in this video we're talking about when to use the present tense to talk about the future.

And we use the present continuous tense to talk about the future when something is a plan.

If it's in your diary,

if it's a specific appointment that you have written in your diary,

if it's a plan, a booking, an appointment, use the present continuous.

What are you doing next week?

What are you doing?

That's the present continuous – next week.

To that question, I could answer...

I'm working on Monday.

On Tuesday, I'm going to the beach.

My brother is visiting us on Wednesday.

My brother is visiting us on Wednesday and I'm going out with my friend Jonny on Friday.

I'm going out with my friend Jonny on Friday.

And another couple of questions.

What time is he coming?

What time is your brother coming?

And I'm going out with Johnny, OK?

Is Pete going? Is Pete going?

Present continuous to talk about the future because we're talking about plans that have already been made.

So, yes, English tenses can be a little bit confusing, but you now know how to use the present to talk about the future.

Now, I want you to learn when to use the present to talk about the past.

So watch that video to learn how to do that.

And then you might also want to learn how to use the past to talk about the future.

So watch that video next.

Thanks for being here, and I'll see you in the next lesson.

Bye for now.