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6 Phrases to Talk About the Distant Future in English (with Quiz and Worksheet)
- Erin West
- Apr 6
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 20
In business, when making plans or setting goals, we often focus on the future. But what if you want to talk about something that won’t happen soon — not next week, but months or even years from now? In this article, you’ll learn 6 useful phrases to talk about the distant future. These expressions are great for everyday English and will help you sound more fluent and natural.
Let’s take a look!
Choose the missing word, then listen to the correct sentence. Scroll down to download the PDF.
1.
KEY
NOT ANYTIME SOON
idiom
not in the near future
I don’t think they’ll fix the bug anytime soon.
Are you planning to move anytime soon?
It doesn’t look like we’ll get a response anytime soon.
I’m not going on vacation anytime soon — too much work.
The situation isn’t going to improve anytime soon, unfortunately.
2.
KEY
A LONG WAY OFF
idiom
not happening soon
My next vacation is still a long way off, so I’m trying not to burn out.
Retirement feels like a long way off, but I know I should start saving now.
The launch date is a long way off — we’re still in the early planning stage.
College is a long way off for my kids, but we’re already thinking about it.
A full recovery is still a long way off, but the treatment is helping.
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3.
KEY
AT SOME POINT
phrase
at an unknown time in the future (or past)
At some point, we all need to take a break and recharge.
You’ll have to learn how to use the new system at some point.
Let’s schedule a meeting at some point to go over the results.
We should talk about your goals at some point.
At some point, you’ll need to upgrade your software.
4.
KEY
DOWN THE ROAD
idiom
later in the future
We may consider expanding the team down the road.
Buying a house is something I’d like to do down the road.
We’re not hiring right now, but we might need someone down the road.
They’re thinking about moving to a bigger office down the road.
5.
KEY
FURTHER DOWN THE LINE
idiom
later in the future, down the road
We may offer more advanced courses further down the line, but not yet.
They’re not planning to expand now, but it could happen further down the line.
Further down the line, we’ll need to upgrade the whole system.
This decision could create problems further down the line if we’re not careful.
6.
KEY
YEARS AWAY
phrase
not happening for a long time, not soon
The new technology is still years away from being ready.
Flying cars are exciting, but they’re still years away.
That level of experience is years away for most junior employees.
A cure for that disease might be years away, according to doctors.
How to Talk About the Distant Future in English
Dialogue: Office Chat About Career Plans
Questions:
What three phrases about the future do you hear in the conversation?
Does Jason want to switch careers right now?
What would Emma like to do at some point?
Why does Jason think starting a business is years away for him?
What do they both agree is important?
KEY and TRANSCRIPT
QUESTIONS
1.“Further down the line,” “at some point,” and “years away.”
2. No, not right now. Maybe later.
3. She wants to start her own business.
4. Because he still needs to learn more.
5. They agree it’s good to have goals.
TRANSCRIPT
-Hey, do you ever think about switching careers?
-Sometimes, yeah. I mean, not right now — but maybe further down the line. What about you?
-Same. I like what I’m doing, but I think at some point, I’d like to start my own business.
-Nice! That’s great. Starting something like that is probably years away for me though. I still have a lot to learn.
-Yeah, me too. But it’s good to have goals, right?
-Totally. One step at a time.
6 Phrases to Talk About the Distant Future in English
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