How to Form the Simple Future
The formula for the simple future is will + [root form of verb].
I will learn a new language. Jen will read that book. My brothers will sleep till noon if no one
wakes them up. You will see what I mean.
It doesn’t matter if the subject is singular or plural; the formula for the simple future
doesn’t change.
But…
There is another way to show that something will happen in the future. It follows the
formula [am/is/are] + going to + [root form verb].
I am going to learn a new language. Jen is going to read that book. My brothers are going to
sleep till noon if no one wakes them up. You are going to see what I mean.
The “going to” construction is common in speech and casual writing. Keep in mind
though that it’s on the informal side, so it’s a good idea to stick to the will + [root
form] construction in formal writing.
How to Make the Simple Future Negative
To make the simple future negative, the formula is will + not + [root form].
Jen will not quit before she reaches her goal. Make sure you arrive on time tomorrow because
the bus will not wait for you. He will not say anything bad about his boss. I will not finish my
homework in time for class.
Using the “going to” construction, the formula is [am/is/are] + not + going to + [root
form].
Jen is not going to quit before she reaches her goal. Make sure you arrive on time tomorrow
because the bus is not going to wait for you. He is not going to say anything bad about his boss.
I am not going to finish my homework in time for class.
How to Ask a Question
To ask a question in the simple future, the formula is will + [subject] + [root form].
Will Jen finish War and Peace over the summer? Will I have the discipline to study Spanish
every day? What will you buy with the money you found?
The formula for the “going to” construction is [am/is/are] + [subject] +going to +
[root form].
Is Jen going to finish War and Peace over the summer? Am I going to have the discipline to
study Spanish every day? What are you going to buy with the money you found?
Using the Future Continuous Tensе
The future continuous tense, sometimes also referred to as the future progressive
tense, is a verb tense that indicates that something will occur in the future and
continue for an expected length of time. It is formed using the construction will + be +
the present participle (the root verb + -ing).
The simple future tense is a verb tense that is used when an action is expected to occur
in the future and be completed. For example, let’s suppose you have a meeting
tomorrow at five o’clock.
I will arrive at five o’clock.
I will arrive is the simple future tense of the verb to arrive. You arrive once; beyond
that, you can’t keep on arriving. However, once you get there, you may be doing
something that goes on continuously, at least for a certain period of time.
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At five o’clock, I will be meeting with the management about my raise.
Will be meeting is the future continuous tense of the verb to meet. The construction
will + be + the present participle meeting indicates that the meeting isn’t going to
happen in an instant, all at once. It will have a duration. The will + be + present
participle construction always indicates the future continuous tense.
Michael will be running a marathon this Saturday.
Eric will be competing against Michael in the race.
I will be watching Michael and Eric race.
The Future Continuous Tense Is for Action Verbs Only
It is important to note that the future continuous tense is only used with action verbs,
because it is possible to do them for a duration. (Action verbs describe activities like
running, thinking, and seeing. Stative verbs describe states of existence, like being,
seeming, and knowing.) To use the will + be + present participle construction with a
stative verb would sound very odd indeed.
I will be being stressed tomorrow during my science test.
I will be stressed tomorrow during my science test.
When the sun comes out tomorrow, winter will be seeming like a distant memory.
When the sun comes out tomorrow, winter will seem like a distant memory.
After I study, I will be knowing all the answers for the test.
After I study, I will know all the answers for the test.
As you can see, only the simple future tense is suited to stative verbs like to be and to
seem.
The Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect tense is only used in a few situations, but it's still good to know it. Here's how
to make it..
The future perfect is made with the future simple of 'have' (will have) and the past
participle. For regular past participles add 'ed' to the verb ('play' becomes
'played'). Click here to learn about irregular past participles.
Here's the positive:
By six pm tonight:
I will have finished this book
You will have studied the English tenses
She will have cooked dinner
He will have arrived
We will have met Julie
It will have stopped raining
They will have left Japan
For the short form, we change will to 'll. But, when we are speaking, we also make
'have' shorter, so it sounds like I'll've finished (don't write this!). Here are some
examples for you to listen to:
I'll have finished this book
You'll have studied the English tenses
She'll have cooked dinner
He'll have arrived
We'll have met Julie
It'll have stopped raining
They'll have left Japan
Here's the negative:
By next week,
I will not have finished this book
You will not have studied the English tenses
She will not have cooked dinner
He will not have arrived
We will not have met Julie
It will not have stopped raining
They will not have left Japan
Here's the short form. Listen to how I shorten 'have' when I'm speaking:
I won't have finished this book
You won't have studied the English tenses
She won't have cooked dinner
He won't have arrived
We won't have met Julie
It won't have stopped raining
They won't have left Japan
To make the question, just put 'will' before the subject:
'Yes / no' questions:
By next year,
will I have finished writing this book?
will you have studied all the English verb tenses?
will she have graduated?
will he have got married?
will it have got colder?
will we have met your boyfriend?
will they have left their jobs?
'Wh' questions:
When will I have finished writing this book?
Why will you have studied all the English verb tenses by tomorrow?
When will she have been here three weeks?
Why will he have got married before June?
Why will it have got colder by May?
How will we have met your boyfriend by tonight?
When will they have left their jobs?
