Due – a verb we use to talk about the future in English

We don’t always use a future tense to talk about the future in English. We often use a particular word or expression instead and the word due is one of them.
In this video you’ll learn three of its meanings.
This word is particularly useful for business English students.

We also use the verbs wait, hope, expect and look forward to talk about the future. Click here to see a video about them.
Do you want to learn more words and expression you can use at work? Click here to see more Business English videos

Video transcript

Hi Rachel.
Hi Rachel. You’re pregnant!
Yes, I’m going to have a baby.
Oh congratulations! That’s wonderful!
Babies are a lot of work.
When’s the baby due?
Next month. We’re very excited.
Get ready for some sleepless nights.

Here’s a useful little word that has several different meanings. In this video, you’re going to learn three of them.

My baby’s due next month.

So use due to say something is expected. It’s useful for talking about arrangements and schedules.

Are you coming?
Where?
We’re due at your mother’s at three. Remember?
But the match is due to start.
Oh Jay!

Jay and I pronounce this word a little differently. Did you notice? Listen again.

We’re due at your mother’s at three. Remember?
But the match is due to start.

Due. Due. Due. Due.

Generally speaking, the pronunciation is a little different in American and British English. Due. Due. OK. Let’s look at another meaning of this word. We can use ‘due’ to talk about money that’s owed.

Have Patterson’s paid us?
No they haven’t.
The invoice is due at the end of the month.
Don’t worry, they always pay on time.

So we use ‘due’ to say when payments are scheduled. And if an invoice or bill needs to be paid immediately, we say it’s due.

Can you transfer $10,000 to our checking account?
$10,000! Why?
The rent, the business loan, the electric bill. They’re all due.
OK.

So use ‘due’ to talk about scheduled payments. Now money isn’t the only thing we can owe or be owed.

I am so tired.
Why don’t you take a day off?
I’ve used up all my vacation days.
Really? I’m due two weeks.
You’ve got two weeks coming?
Yeah.
You lucky thing.
I think I’ll go to the beach.

If things are owed to us as a right, we can also say they’re due. And it might not be tangible things. For example, we might owe people things like respect and recognition, or credit for doing a good job.

Now the final item on the agenda: the sales training course. We’ve had some excellent feedback on this event. It was very well organized. Our thanks are due to Vicki in Philadelphia for organizing it.
Thank you very much Craig.
Good work Vicki. It looks like you’re due for a promotion. OK everyone. That’s it for this week. See you all next Tuesday.
Good, eh?
But I organized the sales training course. You told him you did it?

So our thanks can be due to people. And people can be due a promotion. We say these things when we think they deserve something as a right.
So let’s recap. There’s due in the sense of expected. There’s due in the sense of money that’s due. And there’s due in the sense of something that’s deserved.
And if you master these three meanings, you’re due a pat on the back.

Come on Vick. What? We’re due at the theater in half an hour. Oh yes. Bye everyone.

Click here to watch this video with a clickable transcript
We also use the verbs wait, hope, expect and look forward to talk about the future. Click here to see a video about them.
We also use the expressions About to and Bound to: About to and Bound to
Do you want to learn more words and expression you can use at work? Click here to see more Business English videos