UNIT EIGHTEEN The future tense  Use of the future 1 The future tense is, of course, used to refer to events which will happen in the future, as in the following examples: 2 The future is also used to express probability, or a guess: 3 The future can also correspond to the English present progressive (‘I’m going to . . . ’ etc.): 4 In general, the future tense is used less in Italian than in English, and it is often possible, when talking about something which we are almost sure will happen, to use the present: Venerdì  andremo  in piscina. Non so quando  partirò. Verrà  anche l’anno prossimo, Signora? On Friday we’ll go to the swimming pool. I don’t know when I’ll leave. Will you come/be coming again next year(, Madam?) Anna non risponde:  sarà  fuori. Saranno  le 5. La madre di Pietro  avrà  30 anni. Chi  sarà ? Anna’s not answering: she must/she’ll be out. It’s probably/It’ll be about 5 o’clock. Pietro’s mother must be around 30. Who can that be? Gli  parlerò  presto. Porterò  i miei CD. Gli  direte  la verità? I’m going to talk/I’ll be talking to them soon. I’m going to bring/I’ll be bringing my CDs. Are you going to tell him the truth?