1. be + full infinitive

We use be + full infinitive to talk about events in the future. It’s quite formal and is often used by journalists.

• The prime minister is to open a new factory.
• The motorway is to shut for maintenance.
• The actor is to be awarded for his services to theatre.

2. be due + full infinitive

We use be due + full infinitive to talk about scheduled events.

• Ling’s train is due to arrive at 9:37.
• Jayeesh’s parents are due to leave this evening.
• Ivana’s exam‘s due to finish at noon.

3. be + sure / bound + full infinitive

We use be + sure / bound + full infinitive to talk about a future event we are confident will happen.

• João‘s sure to be late. He always is.
• Lenu was bound to win. She’s so much better at tennis than Carmela. Ya se ve que Lena va a ganar. Se le da mucho mejor  el tenis que a Carmela
• It was bound to happen. Se veía venir. Tenía que pasar.
• It‘s bound to rain tomorrow. It always does when we have a picnic.

4. to be on the verge of / on the brink of

We use on the verge of / on the brink of for events that are going to happen very soon. These phrases are followed by nouns or gerunds (words made from verb + ing which act as a noun).

• The volcano was on the verge of erupting.
• The minister was on the brink of resigning.
• The countries were on the verge of war.

5. present tense with a future meaning.

We often use a present tense with a future meaning after verbs such as hope, plan, aim, intend, want and propose. The verb that follows is in the infinitive.

• Elif hopes to finish her studies and find a job next year.
• Ekatrina intends to buy a house after saving for a few years.
• Jorge plans to live abroad.

3. be + sure / bound + full infinitive

We use be + sure / bound + full infinitive to talk about a future event we are confident will happen.

       João‘s sure to be late. He always is.

       Lenu was bound to win. She’s so much better at tennis than Carmela.

       It‘s bound to rain tomorrow. It always does when we have a picnic.

4. on the verge of / on the brink of. Al borde de

Mandela: “This country is on the verge of a civil war”…..

We use on the verge of / on the brink of for events that are going to happen very soon. These phrases are followed by nouns or gerunds (words made from verb + ing which act as a noun).

       The volcano was on the verge of erupting.

       The minister was on the brink of resigning. Estaba a punto de dimitir.

       The countries were on the verge of war.

5. present tense with a future meaning.

We often use a present tense with a future meaning after verbs such as hope, plan, aim, intend, want and propose. The verb that follows is in the infinitive.

       Elif hopes to finish her studies and find a job next year.

       Ekatrina intends to buy a house after saving for a few years.

              Jorge plans to live abroad.