THE FUTURE

Form: subject + auxiliary verb Will + base verb

Examples:

I will cook.

You will help him later.

You will not/won't help him later.

Will you help him later?

How do we make the Future Simple Tense?

The structure of the future simple tense is:

subject

+

auxiliary verb WILL

+

base verb

I you he she it

we they

invariable

cook

will

For negative sentences in the future simple tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and main verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the future simple tense:

	subject	auxiliary verb		base verb
+	I	will		close	the door.
+	You	will		finish	before me.
-	She	will	not	be	at class tomorrow.
-	We	will	not	leave	yet.
?	Will	you		arrive	on time?
?	Will	they		want	dinner?

When we use the future simple tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and auxiliary verb:

I will	I'll
you will	you'll
he will she will it will	he'll she'll it'll
we will	we'll
they will	they'll

For negative sentences in the future simple tense, we contract with won't, like this:

I will not	I won't
you will not	you won't
he will not she will not it will not	he won't she won't it won't
we will not	we won't
they will not	they won't

How do we use the Future Simple Tense?

No Plan

We use the future simple tense when there is no plan or decision to do something before we speak. We make the decision spontaneously at the time of speaking. Look at these examples:

Hold on. I'll get a pen.
We will see what we can do to help you.
Maybe we'll stay in and watch television tonight.

In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The decision is made at the time of speaking.

We often use the future simple tense with the verb to think before it:

I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow.
I think I will have a holiday next year.
I don't think I'll buy that car.

Prediction

We often use the future simple tense to make a prediction about the future. Again, there is no firm plan. We are saying what we think will happen. Here are some examples:

It will rain tomorrow.
People won't go to Jupiter before the 22nd century.
Who do you think will get the job?

Be

When the base verb is be, we can use the future simple tense even if we have a firm plan or decision before speaking. Examples:

I'll be in London tomorrow.
I'm going shopping. I won't be very long.
Will you be at work tomorrow?

Note that when we have a plan or intention to do something in the future, we usually use other tenses or expressions, such as the present continuous tense or going to.

Using "Will"

Positive	Negative	Question
I will help. You will help. We will help. They will help. He will help. She will help. It will help.	I will not help. You will not help. We will not help. They will not help. He will not help. She will not help. It will not help.	Will I help? Will you help? Will we help? Will they help? Will he help? Will she help? Will it help?

Using "Be Going to"

Positive	Negative	Question
I am going to leave. You are going to leave. We are going to leave. They are going to leave. He is going to leave. She is going to leave. It is going to leave.	I am not going to leave. You are not going to leave. We are not going to leave. They are not going to leave. He is not going to leave. She is not going to leave. It is not going to leave.	Am I going to leave? Are you going to leave? Are we going to leave? Are they going to leave? Is he going to leave? Is she going to leave? Is it going to leave?