Future Plans and Goals

A2 · Writing Lab · about 20 minutes

Learn→See an Example→Analyze→Practice→Write→Check→Improve→Rewrite

🎯 Objective. Write about your plans and goals with “going to” for plans and “will” for hopes and decisions, organized from this week to next year.

1 · Learn

English splits the future in two. Use “going to” for plans you already decided: “I'm going to study medicine.” Use “will” for hopes, promises, and quick decisions: “I hope I will travel.” Mixing them is normal in one text — plans first, hopes after.

Organize future writing by time: this week → next month → next year → one day. The time ladder keeps your ideas clear and shows the reader your path.

2 · See an Example

My Plans for Next Year

Next year is going to be a big year for me. In January, I'm going to start a new job at a hotel in Miami. First, I need to find a small apartment near the beach, and I'm going to take the bus to work every day.

In the summer, my brother is going to visit me, and we're going to learn to surf together. One day, I will open my own little café by the sea. That's the dream — and every plan starts with a first step.

3 · Analyze the Example

Going to = decided plans. Start a job, find an apartment, take the bus — these are arrangements, so “going to” carries them.
A time ladder. In January → In the summer → One day. Near plans first, distant dreams last.
Will = the dream. “I will open my own café” — the far future and the hope get “will”.
A closing line with a message. “Every plan starts with a first step” lifts the text from a list to a statement.

Useful Vocabulary

plan — something you decided to do in the future

My plan is to study abroad.

goal — something you want to achieve with effort

Her goal is to speak English fluently.

dream job — the job you want most of all

His dream job is to fly planes.

save money — to keep money for later

I'm saving money for a car.

one day — at some time in the future

One day, I'll live by the sea.

Useful Expressions

I'm going to …
First, I need to …
In the summer / next year, …
I hope I will …
One day, I will …

Common Mistakes

✗ Tomorrow I will to visit my friend. We decided it yesterday.

✓ Tomorrow I'm going to visit my friend. We decided it yesterday.

A plan already decided takes “going to” — and never “will to”.

✗ I going to learn French.

✓ I am going to learn French.

“Going to” needs be: I am / he is / we are going to.

✗ Next year I will opens a shop.

✓ Next year I will open a shop.

After will, the verb stays in its base form: will open.

4 · Guided Practice

Choose: a) “Watch out! You're going to drop your phone!” b) “Watch out! You will to drop your phone!”
See a model answer
(a) — going to for something about to happen; “will to” never exists.
Write one plan for next week with “going to” and one dream with “will”.
See a model answer
Example: “Next week I'm going to visit my cousins. One day, I will see the whole country.”
Order the time ladder: one day / in January / this weekend / in the summer
See a model answer
this weekend → in January → in the summer → one day.

5 · Write — Your Task

✍️ Write about your plans: one plan for this month, one goal for next year (say what you are going to do and what you need to do first), and one dream for “one day”.

Goal: 2 paragraphs, 8–10 sentences · Length: 90–120 words

Decided plans: “going to”. Hopes and dreams: “will”.
Climb the time ladder: this month → next year → one day.
For the big goal, name the first step — it makes the goal real.

✍️ Writing Studio0 words

Sentences: 0Tap an expression to insert it:

I'm going to …First, I need to …In the summer / next year, …I hope I will …One day, I will …

6 · Check — Self-Check

Work through your checklist honestly, then run the Self-Check. It counts words and sentences and spots mechanical points — it does not grade your English. You are the editor.

My decided plans use “going to” with am/is/are. “Will” has no “to” and no -s after it. I organized by time: near first, far last. My big goal has a first step. The dream sentence is in the last paragraph. Contractions sound natural (I'm going to…).

Read a model answer for the task

This spring, I'm going to finish my English course and take the final test. First, I need to practice writing every day, so I'm going to keep a small notebook and write five sentences each night.

Next year, I'm going to look for a job in a school. And one day, I will teach children in my own little classroom by the sea. It sounds far away, but every notebook page takes me closer.

7 · Improve & Rewrite

Weak version — rewrite it in your notebook first, then compare:

I will to study English next year. I going to America one day. I hope I travel.

See an improved version

Next year, I'm going to study English seriously — a lesson every day. I hope I will pass my exam in June. And one day, I'm going to travel to America and use my English in real life.

Quick Quiz

Keep going

📘 Grammar deep-dive: Future: going to & will 🌱 Vocabulary Builder: the A2 Education set

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