FUTURE

There are a few different ways of referring to the future in English. It is important to
remember that we are expressing more than simply the time of the action or event.
Obviously, any 'future' tense will always refer to a time 'later than now', but it may also
express our attitude to the future event.

All of the following ideas can be expressed using different tenses:

 Simple prediction: There will be snow in many areas tomorrow.

 Arrangements: I'm meeting Jim at the airport.

 Plans and intentions: We're going to spend the summer abroad.

 Time-tabled events: The plane takes off at 3 a.m.

 Prediction based on present evidence: I think it's going to rain!

 Willingness: We'll give you a lift to the cinema.

 An action in progress in the future: This time next week I'll be sun-bathing.

 An action or event that is a matter of routine: You'll be seeing John in the office
tomorrow, won't you?

 Obligation: You are to travel directly to London.

 An action or event that will take place immediately or very soon: The train is
about to leave.

 Projecting ourselves into the future and looking back at a completed action: A
month from now he will have finished all his exams.

It is clear from these examples that several tenses are used to express the future. The
future tense section shows the form and function of each of these uses of future tenses.

There are four future verb tenses in English.

Simple future tense

FUNCTIONS
The simple future refers to a time later than now and expresses facts or certainty. In
this case there is no 'attitude'.

The simple future is used:

 To predict a future event:

It will rain tomorrow.
 With I or We, to express a spontaneous decision:
I'll pay for the tickets by credit card.
  To express willingness:
I'll do the washing-up.
He'll carry your bag for you.
 In the negative form, to express unwillingness:
The baby won't eat his soup.
I won't leave until I've seen the manager!
 With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to make an offer:
Shall I open the window?
 With we in the interrogative form using "shall", to make a suggestion:
Shall we go to the cinema tonight?
 With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to ask for advice or instructions:
What shall I tell the boss about this money?
 With you, to give orders:
You will do exactly as I say.
 With you in the interrogative form, to give an invitation:
Will you come to the dance with me?
Will you marry me?

Note: In modern English will is preferred to shall. Shall is mainly used

with I and we to make an offer or suggestion, or to ask for advice (see examples
above). With the other persons (you, he, she, they) shall is only used in literary or
poetic situations, e.g. "With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes. She shall have music
wherever she goes."

FORMING THE SIMPLE FUTURE

The simple future tense is composed of two parts: will / shall + the infinitive without to

Subject will infinitive without to

Affirmative

I will go

I shall go

Negative

They will not see

They won't see

 Subject will infinitive without to

Interrogative

Will she ask?

Interrogative negative

Won't they try?

CONTRACTIONS
I will = I'll
We will = we'll
You will = you'll
He will = he'll
She will = she'll
They will = they'll
Will not = won't

The form "it will" is not normally shortened.

TO SEE: SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

Affirmative Negative Interrogative Interrogative Negative

I will see I won't see Will I see? Won't I see?

*I shall see *Shall I see?

You will see You won't see Will you see? Won't you see?

He will see He won't see Will he see? Won't he see?

We will see We won't see Will we see? Won't we see?

 Affirmative Negative Interrogative Interrogative Negative

*We shall see *Shall we see?

They will see They won't see Will they see? Won't they see?

*Shall is dated, but it is still commonly used instead of "will" with the affirmative or
interrogative forms of I and we in certain cases (see above).

Future continuous tense

FORM

The future continuous is made up of two elements:

the simple future of the verb 'to be' + the present participle (base+ing)

Subject simple future of the verb 'to be' present participle

You will be watching

I will be staying

TO STAY, FUTURE CONTINUOUS

Affirmative Negative Interrogative Negative

Interrogative

I will be staying. I won't be staying. Will I be staying? Won't I be staying?

You will be staying. You won't be staying. Will you be staying? Won't you be staying?

He will be staying. He won't be staying. Will he be staying? Won't he be staying?

She will be staying. She won't be staying. Will she be staying? Won't she be staying?

It will be staying. It won't be staying. Will it be staying? Won't it be staying?

We will be staying. We won't be staying. Will we be staying? Won't we be staying?

 Affirmative Negative Interrogative Negative
Interrogative

They will be They won't be Will they be Won't they be

staying. staying. staying? staying?

FUNCTIONS

The future continuous refers to an unfinished action or event that will be in progress at
a time later than now. The future continuous is used for quite a few different purposes.

The future continuous can be used to project ourselves into the future.

EXAMPLES

 This time next week I will be sun-bathing in Bali.

 By Christmas I will be skiing like a pro.

 Just think, next Monday you will be working in your new job.

The future continuous can be used for predicting or guessing about future events.

EXAMPLES

 He'll be coming to the meeting, I expect.

 I guess you'll be feeling thirsty after working in the sun.

 You'll be missing the sunshine once you're back in England.

In the interrogative form, the future continuous can be used to ask politely for
information about the future.

EXAMPLES

 Will you be bringing your friend to the pub tonight?

 Will Jim be coming with us?

 Will she be going to the party tonight?

 Will I be sleeping in this room?

The future continuous can be used to refer to continuous events that we expect to
happen in the future.

EXAMPLES

 I'll be seeing Jim at the conference next week.

 When he is in Australia he will be staying with friends.

 I'll be eating with Jane this evening so I can tell her.

When combined with still, the future continuous refers to events that are already
happening now and that we expect to continue some time into the future.
EXAMPLES

 In an hour I'll still be ironing my clothes.

 Tomorrow he'll still be suffering from his cold.

 Next year will she still be wearing a size six?

 Won't stock prices still be falling in the morning?

 Unfortunately, sea levels will still be rising in 20 years.

Future perfect tense

FORM
The future perfect is composed of two elements
the simple future of the verb "to have" (will have) + the past participle of the main verb

Subject + will have + past participle of the main verb

He will have finished.

I will have finished.

TO ARRIVE, FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

Affirmative Negative Interrogative Negative Interrogative

I will have arrived I won't have arrived Will I have arrived? Won't I have arrived?

You will have arrived You won't have arrived Will you have arrived? Won't you have arrived?

He will have arrived He won't have arrived Will he have arrived? Won't he have arrived?

We will have arrived We won't have arrived Will we have arrived? Won't we have arrived?

They will have arrived They won't have arrived Will they have arrived? Won't they have arrived?
FUNCTION
The future perfect tense refers to a completed action in the future. When we use this tense we
are projecting ourselves forward into the future and looking back at an action that will be
completed sometime later than now. It is most often used with a time expression.

EXAMPLES

 I will have been here for six months on June 23rd.

 By the time you read this I will have left.
 You will have finished your report by this time next week.
 Won't they have arrived by 5:00?
 Will you have eaten when I pick you up?

Future perfect continuous tense

FORM
The future perfect continuous is composed of two elements
the future perfect of the verb "to be" (will have been) + the present participle of the main
verb (base + ing)

Subject + will have been + present participle

He will have been playing.

I will have been playing.

TO LIVE, FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Affirmative Negative Interrogative Negative Interrogative

I will have been living I won't have been living Will I have been living? Won't I have been living?

You will have been You won't have been Will you have been Won't you have been
living living living? living?

He will have been He won't have been Will he have been Won't he have been
living living living? living?
 Affirmative Negative Interrogative Negative Interrogative

We will have been We won't have been Will we have been Won't we have been
living living living? living?

They will have been They won't have been Will they have been Won't they have been
living living living? living?

FUNCTION
Like the future perfect simple, this form is used to project ourselves forward in time and to look
back. It refers to events or actions that are currently unfinished but will be finished at some
future time. It is most often used with a time expression.

EXAMPLES

 I will have been waiting here for three hours by six o'clock.
 By 2001 I will have been living in London for sixteen years.
 When I finish this course, I will have been learning English for twenty years.
 Next year I will have been working here for four years.
 When I come at 6:00, will you have been practicing long?

There are also several other ways to talk about the future without using a future verb
tense.

Using the present continuous to talk about future

arrangements
USING THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TO TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE

The present continuous is used to talk about arrangements for events at a time later
than now. There is a suggestion that more than one person is aware of the event, and
that some preparation has already happened. e.g.

 I'm meeting Jim at the airport = Jim and I have discussed this.

 I am leaving tomorrow. = I've already bought my train ticket.

 We're having a staff meeting next Monday = all members of staff have been
told about it.

EXAMPLES

 Is she seeing him tomorrow?

 He isn't working next week.

  They aren't leaving until the end of next year.

 We are staying with friends when we get to Boston.

Note:In the first example, "seeing" is used in a continuous form because it means
"meeting".

BE CAREFUL! The simple present is used when a future event is part of a programme
or time-table.

Notice the difference between:

a. We're having a staff meeting next Monday = just that once

b. We have a staff meeting every Monday

Using the simple present to talk about scheduled events

The simple present is used to make statements about events at a time later than now, when the
statements are based on present facts, and when these facts are something fixed like a time-
table, schedule, calendar.

EXAMPLES

 The plane arrives at 18.00 tomorrow.

 She has a yoga class tomorrow morning.
 The restaurant opens at 19.30 tonight.
 Next Thursday at 14.00 there is an English exam.
 The plane leaves in ten minutes.

Using "going" to talk about the future

FORM

When we use going in a phrase to talk about the future, the form is composed of three
elements:
the verb to be conjugated to match the subject + going + the infinitive of the main
verb

Subject + to be (conjugated) + going + infinitive

She is going to leave.

I am going to stay.

Affirmative
 He is going to jog.

Negative

He is not going to jog.

Interrogative

Is he going to jog?

Negative Interrogative

Isn't he going to jog?

FUNCTION

The use of going to refer to future events suggests a very strong association with the
present. The time is not important, it is later than now, but the attitude is that the event
depends on something in the present situation that we know about. Going is mainly
used to refer to our plans and intentions or to make predictions based on present
evidence. In everyday speech, going to is often shortened to gonna, especially in
American English, but it is never written that way.

USING "GOING" FOR PLANS AND INTENTIONS

EXAMPLES

 Is Freddy going to buy a new car soon?

 Are John and Pam going to visit Milan when they are in Italy?

 I think Nigel and Mary are going to have a party next week.

 We are going to have dinner together tomorrow.

 Aren't you going to stay at the library until your report is finished?

USING "GOING" FOR PREDICTIONS

EXAMPLES

 He's going to be a brilliant politician.

 I'm going to have a hard time falling asleep.

 You're going to be sorry you said that.

 Is it going to rain this afternoon?

 Aren't they going to come to the party?

Future obligations

FORM
When we write about future obligations, we can use a formal pattern composed of two elements
the verb to be in the present tense conjugated to match the subject + the infinitive of the
main verb

TO TRAVEL, AS A FUTURE OBLIGATION

Affirmative Negative Interrogative Negative Interrogative

I am to travel. I am not to travel. Am I to travel? Am I not to travel?

You are to travel. You are not to travel. Are you to travel? Aren't you to travel?

He is to travel. He is not to travel. Is he to travel? Isn't he to travel?

It is to travel. It is not to travel. Is it to travel? Isn't it to travel?

We are to travel. We are not to travel. Are we to travel? Aren't we to travel?

They are to travel. They are not to travel. Are they to travel? Aren't they to travel?

FUNCTION
In written English, we can use this pattern to refer to an obligation or requirement that we do
something at a time later than now. It is similar in meaning to must, but there is a suggestion
that something has been arranged or organised for us. It is not normally used in spoken
English.

EXAMPLES

 You are to leave this room at once, and you are to travel by train to London.
 In London you are to pick up your ticket from Mr Smith, and you are to fly to your
destination alone.
 When you arrive, you are to meet our agent, Mr X, who will give you further
information.
 You are to destroy this message now.
The immediate future

FORM

When we talk about the immediate future, we can use a pattern composed of three
elements:
the verb "to be", conjugated in the present tense, + about + the infinitive of the main
verb

Subject + to be + about (or just about) + infinitive

I am about to be sick

They are about to arrive.

It is just about to explode.

TO LEAVE, IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE

Affirmative Negative Interrogative Negative Interrogative

I am about to leave. I am not about to Am I about to leave? Am I not about to

leave. leave?

You are about to You are not about to Are you about to Aren't you about to
leave. leave. leave? leave?

He is about to leave. He is not about to Is he about to leave? Isn't he about to leave?

leave.

We are about to We aren't about to Are we about to Aren't we about to

leave. leave. leave? leave?

They are about to They aren't about to Are they about to Aren't they about to
leave. leave. leave? leave?

FUNCTION

This pattern is used to refer to a time immediately after the moment of speaking and
emphasises that the event or action will happen very soon. We often add the
word just before the word about, which emphasises the immediacy of the action.

EXAMPLES
  She is about to cry.

 You are about to see something very unusual.

 I am about to go to a meeting.

 We are just about to go inside.

 Sally is just about to jump off that diving board.

This pattern can also be used with the simple past tense of to be in place of the present
tense, to refer to an action that was imminent, but was interrupted. That pattern is
often followed by a clause introduced by when.

EXAMPLES

 She was about to leave when Jim arrived.

 When it started to rain, I was about to go out for a walk.

 I was just about to call her when she walked in.

 The car was just about to flip over when he regained control.