Future Tense
The term “Future Tense” is used to refer to a grammatical tense that expresses actions or events that will happen at some point in the future. It’s a way to talk about what will occur later in time.
In English, there are several ways to express the future tense, including:
1.Simple Future Tense: This tense is used to express actions or events that will happen in the future, without indicating any specific duration or ongoing nature. It’s often used for predictions, plans, intentions, or spontaneous decisions.
Example: “I will call you tomorrow.”
2. Future Continuous Tense: This tense is used to describe actions or events that will be ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the future. It emphasizes that an action will be happening at a particular moment in the future.
Example: “I will be studying at this time tomorrow.”
3. Future Perfect Tense: This tense is used to describe actions or events that will be completed before a specific point in the future. It emphasizes the completion of an action before another action or event in the future.
Example: “By next year, I will have finished my degree.”
4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense: This tense is used to describe actions or events that will have been ongoing for a duration of time before a specific point in the future. It emphasizes the duration of an ongoing action up to a certain point in the future.
Example: “By the time she arrives, I will have been waiting for two hours.”
Each form of the future tense serves a different purpose and helps convey different meanings about future actions or events. Understanding these different forms allows speakers to express future events accurately in English.Top of Form
Table of Contents
1. Simple Future Tense
1.1 Understanding Simple Future Tense
The Simple Future Tense is a grammatical tense used to describe actions or events that will occur in the future. It is used to express predictions, plans, intentions, scheduled events, promises, or actions that are likely to happen in the future.
In English, the Simple Future Tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “will” or “shall” (for formal or old-fashioned usage) followed by the base form of the main verb (infinitive without “to”). The structure of the Simple Future Tense is “will/shall + base form of the verb.”
For example:
- “I will call you tomorrow.” (Expressing a future action)
- “She will travel to Europe next month.” (Expressing a future plan)
- “They will finish their project by Friday.” (Expressing a future scheduled event)
- “He will help you with your homework.” (Expressing a future intention)
- “We shall meet again someday.” (Formal usage of “shall” for future actions)
Additionally, the Simple Future Tense can be formed using the present tense of the verb “to be” (am/is/are) followed by “going to” and the base form of the main verb. This structure is commonly used to express intentions, plans, or predictions about the future.
For example:
- “I am going to buy a new car next week.” (Expressing a future plan)
- “She is going to start a new job in September.” (Expressing a future intention)
- “They are going to visit their grandparents over the holidays.” (Expressing a future plan)
The Simple Future Tense allows speakers to communicate about future events or actions with certainty or likelihood, and it is one of the most common tenses used to talk about the future in English.
1.2 Forming Simple Future Tense
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Affirmative:
-
- This form is used to express actions or events that will happen in the future.
- Structure: S + will/shall + V_inf + O.
Example:
“She will go to the party tomorrow.”
“He will travel to Japan next month.”
“We shall meet at the coffee shop at 3 PM.”
“She will start her new job on Monday.”
“They will finish their homework before dinner.”
-
Negative:
-
- This form is used to express actions or events that will not happen in the future.
- Structure: S + will/shall + not + V_inf + O.
Example:
“They won’t arrive late for the meeting.”
“I won’t forget to call you when I arrive.”
“The company won’t increase prices this year.”
“She won’t attend the conference due to illness.”
“We won’t have any classes on Fridays.”
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Interrogative:
-
- This form is used to ask questions about future actions or events.
- Structure: Will/shall + S + V_inf + O?
Example:
“Will you join us for dinner tonight?”
“Will you come to the party with us?”
“Shall I bring anything for the potluck dinner?”
“Will they finish the project on time?”
“Shall we go for a walk in the park tomorrow?”
1.3 Recognizing signal words for the Simple Future Tense
Recognize the Simple Future Tense, you can look for certain indicators and patterns in a sentence:
- Use of “will” or “shall”: The most common indicator of the Simple Future Tense is the use of the modal verbs “will” or “shall” followed by the base form of the main verb.
Examples:
“She will visit her grandmother tomorrow.”
“I shall call you later.”
- Use of “going to”: Sometimes, “going to” is used to indicate future intentions or plans.
Examples:
“They are going to buy a new car next month.”
“I’m going to start studying for my exam tonight.”
- Time expressions indicating future time: Words or phrases that indicate future time can also signal the use of the Simple Future Tense.
Examples: tomorrow, next week, next year, in two days, soon, later, in the future, etc.
Example:
“We will have a meeting next Monday.”
- Negation: When negating sentences in the Simple Future Tense, “will not” or the contraction “won’t” is used.
Examples:
“She will not arrive on time.”
“They won’t forget your birthday.”
- Question structure: In interrogative sentences, “will” or “shall” is usually placed before the subject.
Examples:
“Will you help me with my homework?”
“Shall we go to the cinema tonight?”
By paying attention to these indicators, you can easily recognize sentences in the Simple Future Tense.
2. Future Continuous Tense
2.1 Understanding Future Continuous Tense
The Future Continuous Tense, also known as the Future Progressive Tense, is used to describe actions that will be ongoing or in progress at a specific future time. It emphasizes the duration of an action that will be happening in the future.
The structure of the Future Continuous Tense is formed using the auxiliary verb “will” (or “shall” in formal British English), the verb “be” in its present participle form (verb + “-ing”), and the main verb.
The general structure is:
Subject+will/shall+be+verb (present participle form)+object or complement
Subject+will/shall+be+verb (present participle form)+object or complement
Here are some examples:
- Affirmative: “I will be studying all night for my exam.”
- Negative: “She will not be working tomorrow.”
- Interrogative: “Will they be waiting for us at the airport?”
In these examples:
- “will” (or “shall”) is the auxiliary verb indicating future tense.
- “be” is the present tense form of the verb “be”.
- The main verb is in its present participle form (“-ing”), indicating the ongoing action.
- The rest of the sentence completes the structure according to standard rules.
The Future Continuous Tense is used to express actions that will be happening at a specific future time or to indicate the ongoing nature of an action in the future. It often implies that the action will be in progress at a particular moment or during a certain period in the future.
2.2 Forming Future Continuous Tense
To form the Future Continuous Tense, use the auxiliary verb will followed by be and the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. This tense is used to describe an ongoing action or event that will happen in the future. Remember to apply the appropriate subject-verb agreement.
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Affirmative:
-
- This form is used to express actions that will be ongoing at a specific time in the future.
- Structure: S + will/shall + be + V-ing
Example:
- “She will be studying at 8 PM tonight.”
- “They will be watching a movie at this time tomorrow.”
- “We will be having dinner at 7 PM tonight.”
- “She will be playing tennis when you arrive.”
- “I will be cooking dinner while you are at work.”
-
Negative:
-
- This form is used to express actions that will not be ongoing at a specific time in the future.
- Structure: S + will/shall + not + be + V-ing
Example:
- “I won’t be working tomorrow morning.”
- “He won’t be sleeping when you call him.”
- “They won’t be working on the project next week.”
- “She won’t be attending the meeting tomorrow.”
- “I won’t be waiting for you at the station.”
-
Interrogative:
-
- This form is used to ask questions about ongoing actions at a specific time in the future.
- Structure: Will/shall + S + be + V-ing?
Example:
- “Will they be waiting for us at the airport?”
- “Will you be studying at this time tomorrow?”
- “Will they be visiting their grandparents next weekend?”
- “Will she be working late tonight?”
- “Shall I call you while you are driving?”
These forms allow us to discuss actions that will be in progress at a certain time in the future, conveying the idea of ongoing activity.
2.3 Recognizing signal words for the Future Continuous Tense
To recognize the Future Continuous Tense, you can look for several indicators and patterns in a sentence:
- Use of “will be” or “shall be”: The primary indicator of the Future Continuous Tense is the use of the auxiliary verb “will” or “shall” followed by the verb “be” in its present tense form (am, is, are), and then followed by the present participle (“-ing” form) of the main verb.
Examples:
“She will be working late tonight.”
“I shall be waiting for you at the station.”
- Presence of “-ing” verbs: Another clear sign of the Future Continuous Tense is the presence of verbs in their “-ing” form (present participle).
Examples:
“They will be studying for their exams.”
“We shall be traveling to Europe next month.”
- Indications of future time: Often, time expressions indicating the future accompany the Future Continuous Tense.
Examples: tomorrow, next week, next month, in two hours, at this time tomorrow, etc.
Example:
“She will be having dinner with her parents at 7 PM tomorrow.”
- Negation: In negative sentences, “will not be” or its contraction “won’t be” is used.
Examples:
“He won’t be watching TV when you arrive.”
“They will not be attending the party next Saturday.”
- Question structure: In interrogative sentences, “will” or “shall” is usually placed before the subject, followed by “be”, and then the “-ing” form of the verb.
Examples:
“Will they be playing football this evening?”
“Shall we be meeting at the usual place?”
By recognizing these indicators, you can easily identify sentences in the Future Continuous Tense, indicating actions that will be ongoing at a specific future time.
3. Future Perfect Tense
3.1 Understanding Future Perfect Tense
The Future Perfect Tense is used to describe an action that will be completed by a certain time in the future. It emphasizes the completion of an action before another point or event in the future.
The structure of the Future Perfect Tense is formed using the auxiliary verb “will” (or “shall” in formal British English), the auxiliary verb “have,” and the past participle form of the main verb.
The general structure is:
Subject+will/shall+have+past participle of the verb+object or complement
Subject+will/shall+have+past participle of the verb+object or complement
Here’s an example:
- “By next year, I will have finished my degree.”
In this sentence:
- “will” (or “shall”) is the auxiliary verb indicating future tense.
- “have” is the auxiliary verb indicating the perfect aspect.
- The main verb is in its past participle form, indicating completion.
- The rest of the sentence completes the structure according to standard rules.
The Future Perfect Tense is used to talk about actions that will be completed before a specific point or event in the future. It often involves looking back from a future time to describe an action that will have been finished by then.
3.2 Forming Future Perfect Tense
-
Affirmative:
-
- This form is used to express actions that will be completed by a certain point in the future.
- Structure: S + shall/will + have + V3/ed
Example:
“By the time you arrive, I will have finished my work.”
“By next year, she will have traveled to all seven continents.”
“By the time you come back, I will have cleaned the house.”
“They will have finished their dinner by 9 PM.”
“He will have completed his assignment before the deadline.”
-
Negative:
-
- This form is used to express actions that will not be completed by a certain point in the future.
- Structure: S + shall/will + NOT + have + V3/ed + O
Example:
“I won’t have completed the project by tomorrow.”
“I won’t have finished reading the book by tomorrow.”
“They won’t have saved enough money for the trip by next month.”
“She won’t have cooked dinner by the time we get home.”
“He won’t have repaired the car before the mechanic arrives.”
- Interrogative:
-
- This form is used to ask questions about actions that will be completed by a certain point in the future.
- Structure: Will/Shall + S + have + V3/ed?
Example:
Will you have finished your homework by 9 o’clock?
→ Yes, I will / No, I won’t.
“Will you have finished your homework by the time the guests arrive?”
“Will you have graduated from university by next year?”
“Will they have moved to their new house by the end of the month?”
“Will she have finished writing the report by the deadline?”
“Shall we have completed the project by the time the meeting starts?”
These forms allow us to discuss actions that will be completed before a specific point or event in the future. They emphasize the completion of an action by a certain time.
3.3 Recognizing signal words for the Future Perfect Tense
To recognize the Future Perfect Tense, you can look for several indicators and patterns in a sentence:
- Use of “will have” or “shall have”: The primary indicator of the Future Perfect Tense is the use of the auxiliary verb “will” or “shall” followed by the auxiliary verb “have” and then the past participle form of the main verb.
Examples:
“She will have finished her homework by 8 PM.”
“I shall have completed the project by tomorrow.”
- Presence of past participles: Another clear sign of the Future Perfect Tense is the presence of verbs in their past participle form.
Examples:
“He will have graduated by the end of the year.”
“They shall have arrived at their destination by now.”
- Time expressions indicating completion: Time expressions indicating a point or event in the future by which the action will be completed often accompany the Future Perfect Tense.
Examples:
-
- by [specific time or date]
- before [specific time or event]
- by the time [specific event occurs]
Example:
“She will have finished her chores by the time her parents come home.”
- Negation: In negative sentences, “will not have” or its contraction “won’t have” is used.
Examples:
“I won’t have completed the task by tomorrow.”
“They won’t have left for the airport by 8 AM.”
- Question structure: In interrogative sentences, “will” or “shall” is usually placed before the subject, followed by “have,” and then the past participle form of the verb.
Examples:
“Will you have finished your work by lunchtime?”
“Shall we have booked the tickets by next week?”
By recognizing these indicators, you can easily identify sentences in the Future Perfect Tense, which describe actions that will be completed before a specific point or event in the future.
4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
4.1 Understanding Future Perfect Continuous Tense
The Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used to describe actions that will have been ongoing for a period of time leading up to a point or event in the future. It emphasizes both the duration and completion of an action.
The structure of the Future Perfect Continuous Tense is formed using the auxiliary verb “will” (or “shall” in formal British English), the auxiliary verb “have” in its present tense form, the verb “be” in its present participle form (be + “-ing”), and the main verb in its present participle form.
The general structure is:
Subject+will/shall+have+been+present participle (verb + “-ing”)+object or complement
Subject+will/shall+have+been+present participle (verb + “-ing”)+object or complement
Here’s an example:
- “By this time next year, I will have been working here for ten years.”
In this sentence:
- “will” (or “shall”) is the auxiliary verb indicating future tense.
- “have” is the auxiliary verb indicating the perfect aspect.
- “been” is the present tense form of the verb “be” in its continuous form.
- The main verb is in its present participle form, indicating ongoing action.
- The rest of the sentence completes the structure according to standard rules.
The Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used to emphasize the duration of an action that will have been happening up to a certain point in the future. It often implies that the action will continue until that point, emphasizing both its duration and completion.
4.2 Forming Future Perfect Continuous Tense
-
Affirmative:
-
- S + will/shall + have + been + V-ing
-
- This form is used to express actions that will have been ongoing for a period of time leading up to a specific point or event in the future.
Example:
“By next month, she will have been studying English for five years.”
“By the end of the year, they will have been living in this city for ten years.”
“By the time you arrive, I will have been waiting for two hours.”
“By next summer, she will have been learning ballet for six years.”
“By the time he retires, he will have been working as a teacher for forty years.”
-
Negative:
S + will/shall + not + have been + V-ing
-
- This form is used to express actions that will not have been ongoing for a period of time leading up to a specific point or event in the future.
Example:
“By tomorrow, I won’t have been waiting for you for more than an hour.”
“By the end of the day, I won’t have been working on this project for more than an hour.”
“By tomorrow, they won’t have been driving for more than three hours.”
“By next month, she won’t have been living in that apartment for a year.”
“By the time the party starts, I won’t have been cooking for very long.”
- Interrogative:
Will/Shall + S + have been + V-ing?
-
- This form is used to ask questions about actions that will have been ongoing for a period of time leading up to a specific point or event in the future.
Example:
“By the time she arrives, will you have been working on the project all morning?”
“By the time you finish your course, will you have been studying English for two years?”
“By next week, will they have been traveling for a month?”
“By the time he arrives, will you have been working on the report for long?”
“By the time they get married, will she have been dating him for ten years?”
These forms allow us to discuss actions that will have been in progress for a certain duration before a specific point or event in the future. It emphasizes the duration and completion of ongoing actions.
4.3 Recognizing signal words for the Future Perfect Continuous Tense
To recognize the Future Perfect Continuous Tense, you can look for several indicators and patterns in a sentence:
- Use of “will have been” or “shall have been”: The primary indicator of the Future Perfect Continuous Tense is the use of the auxiliary verb “will” or “shall” followed by the auxiliary verb “have” and then “been,” and finally the present participle (“-ing” form) of the main verb.
Examples:
“By next week, I will have been working here for five years.”
“She shall have been studying for her exam for three hours by 10 PM.”
- Presence of present participles: Another clear sign of the Future Perfect Continuous Tense is the presence of verbs in their present participle form (“-ing”).
Examples:
“They will have been waiting for you since morning.”
“I shall have been living in this city for ten years by the end of the year.”
- Time expressions indicating duration: Time expressions indicating the duration of the action often accompany the Future Perfect Continuous Tense.
Examples:
-
- for [a period of time]
- since [a point in time]
Example:
“By next month, I will have been working at this company for ten years.”
- Negation: In negative sentences, “will not have been” or its contraction “won’t have been” is used.
Examples:
“She won’t have been waiting for you for very long by the time you arrive.”
“They won’t have been living in that house for a year by next month.”
- Question structure: In interrogative sentences, “will” or “shall” is usually placed before the subject, followed by “have been,” and then the present participle form of the verb.
Examples:
“Will you have been working on the project all day by the time the meeting starts?”
“Shall we have been driving for more than two hours when we reach the destination?”
By recognizing these indicators, you can easily identify sentences in the Future Perfect Continuous Tense, which describe ongoing actions that will continue up to a certain point in the future.
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