Present Tenses such as Present Simple and Present Continuous can be used with a future meaning.

 

Study the examples below:

(1) Jane has planned her holiday for next week.

She is swimming with the dolphins, she is doing scuba – diving and she is going to the beach.

 

In the sentence above, Jane has already planned and arranged to do all those things.

Present Continuous is used to talk about arranged events in the future or for an action just before you begin to do it.

 

(2) My plane leaves at 4.40 so I need to be at the airport at 3.30.

What time does the football match begin?

What time do you finish school tomorrow?

Tomorrow is Sunday.

I start my new course on Wednesday.

 

We use the Present Simple Tense with a future meaning when we talk about timetables and programmes.