Future Tense: A Guide to Understanding and Using Future Tense in English Grammar

Future tense is an essential aspect of the English language. It is used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future. As such, it is a crucial aspect of English grammar that learners must master. In this article, we will explore the future tense in detail, including its definition, usage, and examples.

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Understanding Future Tense

The future tense is used to describe actions that will occur in the future. It is one of the three main verb tenses in English, along with the past tense and the present tense.

To form the future tense, we typically use the auxiliary verb “will” followed by the base form of the main verb. For example, “I will go to the store.” In some cases, we can also use “going to” to indicate future events. For example, “I am going to study for my exam tomorrow.”

There are four main future tenses in English: simple future, future continuous, future perfect, and future perfect continuous. Each tense has a specific use and is formed differently.

The simple future tense is used to describe actions that will happen in the future.

For example, “I will go to the gym tomorrow.”

The future continuous tense is used to describe actions that will be ongoing in the future.

For example, “I will be studying for my exam all night.”

The future perfect tense is used to describe actions that will be completed by a certain point in the future.

For example, “I will have finished my project by Friday.”

The future perfect continuous tense is used to describe actions that will have been ongoing for a certain amount of time before a specific point in the future.

For example, “I will have been working on this project for three weeks by the time it is due.”

Types of Future Tense

In English grammar, there are four types of future tense. These are Simple Future Tense, Future Continuous Tense, Future Perfect Tense, and Future Perfect Continuous Tense.

Simple Future Tense

Simple Future Tense is used to describe actions that will happen in the future. It is formed by adding the auxiliary verbs “will” or “shall” to the base form of the verb.

For example, “I will eat breakfast tomorrow” or “She shall graduate next year.”

Future Continuous Tense

Future Continuous Tense is used to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “will” with the present participle (-ing) form of the verb.

For example, “I will be studying at 9 PM tomorrow” or “They will be playing soccer at noon.”

Future Perfect Tense

Future Perfect Tense is used to describe actions that will be completed at a specific time in the future. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “will” with the past participle form of the verb.

For example, “I will have finished my homework by 10 PM” or “She will have graduated by next summer.”

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used to describe actions that will have been in progress for a certain amount of time before a specific time in the future. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “will” with “have been” and the present participle (-ing) form of the verb.

For example, “I will have been studying for three hours by 9 PM tomorrow” or “They will have been playing soccer for two hours by noon.”

Formation of Future Tense Sentences

In English grammar, the future tense is used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future. To form a sentence in the future tense, we need to use auxiliary verbs such as “will” or “shall” followed by the base form of the verb. Here’s how to form sentences in the future tense:

Simple Future Tense

The simple future tense is used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future. To form a sentence in the simple future tense, use the auxiliary verb “will” or “shall” followed by the base form of the verb. For example:

I will go to the gym tomorrow.
She will finish her homework before dinner.
They will travel to Europe next summer.

Future Continuous Tense

The future continuous tense is used to describe actions or events that will be in progress at a certain time in the future. To form a sentence in the future continuous tense, use the auxiliary verb “will” or “shall” followed by “be” and the present participle (-ing form) of the verb. For example:

I will be studying for my exam at this time tomorrow.
She will be cooking dinner when we arrive.
They will be playing soccer at 4 pm tomorrow.

Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense is used to describe actions or events that will be completed by a certain time in the future. To form a sentence in the future perfect tense, use the auxiliary verb “will” or “shall” followed by “have” and the past participle of the verb. For example:

I will have finished my work by 5 pm.
She will have graduated from college in two years.
They will have traveled to six different countries by the end of next year.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The future perfect continuous tense is used to describe actions or events that will have been in progress for a certain amount of time by a certain time in the future. To form a sentence in the future perfect continuous tense, use the auxiliary verb “will” or “shall” followed by “have been” and the present participle (-ing form) of the verb. For example:

I will have been working on this project for three hours by the time you arrive.
She will have been living in New York for five years next month.
They will have been studying English for six months by the end of this year.

Usage of Future Tense

In English, the future tense is used to talk about events or actions that will happen in the future. It is one of the twelve verb tenses in English and is used to convey information about events that have not yet occurred. In this section, we will cover the different ways the future tense is used.

Predictions

The future tense is often used to make predictions about the future. We can use the word “will” followed by the base form of the verb to make these predictions.

For example, “It will rain tomorrow,” or “The stock market will go up next week.“

Promises

The future tense is also used to make promises or commitments about the future. We can use the word “will” followed by the base form of the verb to make these promises.

For example, “I will meet you at the restaurant at 7 pm,” or “We will finish the project by Friday.”

Offers

The future tense is used to make offers or suggestions about the future. We can use the word “will” followed by the base form of the verb to make these offers.

For example, “I will help you with your homework,” or “We will go to the beach next weekend.”

Decisions

The future tense is used to talk about decisions that will be made in the future. We can use the word “will” followed by the base form of the verb to talk about these decisions.

For example, “I will apply for the job,” or “We will buy a new car next year.“

Practice Exercises with Answers

In order to master the future tense in English, it is important to practice using it in various contexts. Here are some exercises with answers to help you hone your skills:

Exercise 1

Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentence.

By this time next year, I ___________ (graduate/ will graduate) from college.
She ___________ (will be/ is) very happy when she hears the news.
They ___________ (will have/ have) been married for 10 years next month.
We ___________ (will go/ are going) to the beach this weekend.
I am sure he ___________ (will pass/ passes) the exam.

Answers:

will graduate
will be
will have
are going
will pass

Exercise 2

Choose the correct verb tense to complete the sentence.

By the time we arrive, the movie ___________ (will start/ will have started).
If it rains, we ___________ (will stay/ stay) at home.
He ___________ (will be/ is) tired after working all day.
I ___________ (will call/ call) you as soon as I get home.
They ___________ (will have/ have) finished their project by tomorrow.

Answers:

will have started
will stay
is
will call
will have

Exercise 3

Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentence.

We ___________ (will visit/ are visiting) Paris next month.
She ___________ (will have/ has) a baby in December.
If I have time, I ___________ (will go/ go) to the gym.
They ___________ (will be/ are) here in 10 minutes.
I am sure he ___________ (will like/ likes) the gift.

Answers:

are visiting
will have
will go
are
will like

Practice makes perfect, so keep practicing and using the future tense in different situations. With time and effort, you will become more comfortable and confident in your use of this important tense.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the four types of future tense in English grammar?

In English grammar, there are four types of future tense. The first one is the simple future tense, which is used to describe an action that will happen in the future. The second one is the future continuous tense, which is used to describe an action that will be ongoing in the future. The third one is the future perfect tense, which is used to describe an action that will have been completed in the future. The fourth one is the future perfect continuous tense, which is used to describe an action that will have been ongoing and completed in the future.

What are some examples of future perfect tense?

The future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will have been completed in the future. For example, “By the time we arrive, they will have finished their dinner.” or “I will have completed my work by Friday.”

What is the difference between future continuous and future perfect tense?

The future continuous tense is used to describe an action that will be ongoing in the future, while the future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will have been completed in the future. For example, “She will be sleeping at a hotel tonight” is an example of future continuous tense, while “They will have eaten dinner by 8:00 PM” is an example of future perfect tense.