Future Tense: Understanding Future Actions in Grammar

Future Tense Definition: The future tense is a verb tense used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future. It indicates something that hasn't occurred yet but is expected or planned to happen.

In English, the future tense is commonly formed using "will" or "shall" followed by the base form of a verb, for example, "I will study" or "They shall go."

Types of Future Tense

Simple Future Tense Rules

The Simple Future Tense is used to talk about actions that will happen in the future. It shows certainty and factual information. The structure is:

Subject + will/shall + base form of the verb + Object

Examples:

• "We’ll move to a new city."

• "He’ll reach New York tomorrow."

Future Continuous Tense Rules

The Future Continuous Tense describes an action that will be ongoing at a specific future time. It uses:

Subject + will be/shall be + present participle (verb + -ing)

Examples:

• "I’ll be sleeping until around 6 a.m. tomorrow."

• "They’ll be playing at this time tomorrow."

Future Perfect Tense Rules

The Future Perfect Tense indicates an action that will be completed by a certain future time. It combines:

Subject + will have/shall have + past participle of the verb

Examples:

• "I plan to finish the homework by Monday."

• "She will have cleaned the house before her father arrives."

Future Perfect Continuous Tense Rules

The Future Perfect Continuous Tense describes an action that will be ongoing up until a future point. It uses:

Subject + will have been + present participle (verb + -ing)

Examples:

• "He’ll have been running on the treadmill for an hour the next day."

• "We’ll have spent the whole winter soaking up the afternoon sun."

Future Tense Rules

The Future Tense is used for actions that are expected to happen in the future. It refers to events that are not happening right now but will occur later.

• Shall vs. Will: "Shall" is sometimes used with "I" and "we" to express future actions, though "will" is more common in modern English.

• Going to: The phrase "going to" is often used to express planned future actions (e.g., "I am going to visit my grandparents").

Future Tense Formula

Analysis of Future Tense Structure in Positive, Negative, Interrogative, and Negative Interrogative Sentences

Future Tense Examples

Simple Future Tense:

1. "I will finish my homework later."

2. "They will arrive at the airport tomorrow."

3. "She will call you when she arrives."

4. "We will go for a hike next weekend."

5. "The team will start the project next month."

Future Continuous Tense:

1. "I will be attending the conference at this time next week."

2. "They will be watching a movie when you get home."

3. "She will be working on her presentation at 3 PM."

4. "We will be travelling to Italy during the summer."

5. "He will be cooking dinner while she sets the table."

Future Perfect Tense:

1. "By the end of the day, I will have completed the report."

2. "They will have finished the renovation by next Friday."

3. "She will have graduated from college by 2025."

4. "We will have arrived at the venue before the event starts."

5. "He will have learned to drive by the time he turns 18."

Future Perfect Continuous Tense:

1. "By next year, I will have been studying French for three years."

2. "She will have been working at the company for a decade by then."

3. "They will have been travelling for 24 hours by the time they reach their destination."

4. "We will have been living in this house for five years by next summer."

5. "He will have been practising the piano for hours before the recital starts."

Future Tense Chart for Quick Revision

Test your Knowledge of Future Tense

Task 1: Fill in the blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the future tense:

1. By next year, she _______ (finish) her degree.

2. They _______ (visit) their grandparents this weekend.

3. At this time tomorrow, we _______ (travel) to the beach.

4. He _______ (call) you as soon as he arrives.

5. By the end of the day, I _______ (complete) the project.

Task 2: Identify the Sentence Type

Determine whether the following sentences are positive, negative, interrogative, or negative interrogative.

1. Will they attend the conference next week?

2. She will not finish her assignment on time.

3. We will visit the museum this Saturday.

4. Won't he join us for the party?

5. They will travel to Japan next summer.

Find out if you got them all right from the answers below.

Task1:

1. By next year, she will have finished her degree.

2. They will visit their grandparents this weekend.

3. At this time tomorrow, we will be travelling to the beach.

4. He will call you as soon as he arrives.

5. By the end of the day, I will have completed the project.

Task 2:

1. Interrogative

2. Negative

3. Positive

4. Negative Interrogative

5. Positive

Takeaways from this Page

The future tense is essential for discussing actions that will occur after the present moment. It typically uses "will" or "shall" followed by the base form of the verb. In positive sentences, it straightforwardly indicates upcoming events, such as "She will travel." Negatives are formed with "will not" or "won't," as in "She will not travel." Interrogative sentences start with "Will" or "Shall," asking about future actions, like "Will she travel?" Negative interrogatives combine "Will" with "not" to question expected outcomes, such as "Won't she travel?" Understanding these structures helps in clearly expressing future intentions and predictions.