What Is the Simple Future Tense? (with Examples)
The simple future tense is used for an action that will occur in the future.
Examples of the Simple Future Tense
Here are some examples of the simple future tense (shaded):
- The Moscow State Circus will perform in Cheltenham next year.
- We will celebrate our anniversary by flying to New York.
Of course, you can also have the negative version, which is formed "will not" + "[verb in base form]":
- The Moscow State Circus will not perform in Cheltenham next year.
- We won't celebrate our anniversary by flying to New York.
(Note: "Will not" can be shortened to "won't" in English.)
And the question versions:
- Will the Moscow State Circus perform in Cheltenham next year?
- Will we celebrate our anniversary by flying to New York?
Forming the Simple Future Tense
Here is an infographic explaining the simple future tense:
The simple future is one of four future tenses. They are:
The simple future tense is a verb tense that is used to refer to the future. This tense is commonly formed with the use of will and shall for an activity that takes place in the future. Besides these two auxiliary verbs, there are other ways that can be used to act as simple future tense as shown here.
Will / Shall
Will/shall + base form of the main verb
Will and shall are auxiliary verbs used mainly in the future tense. They are followed by the base form of a main verb. Shall has always been used in place of will for the first person singular (I) and plural (we), but will is becoming more common.
Examples:
- I will call you.
- We shall have a discussion in three days’ time.
- I shall arrive before noon. / They will arrive before noon.
- I shall be away tomorrow. / We shall be away tomorrow.
Both will and shall have their contracted forms in ‘ll, and the contracted negative forms are won’t and shan’t.
Examples:
- I’ll be free for a week. / I won’t be free for a week.
- We’ll talk about it now. / We shan’t talk about it now.
The negative form is not repeated if it appears again with another main verb.
Examples:
- No: I won’t talk and won’t ask her about it.
- Yes: I won’t talk or ask her about it.
Won't and shan’t are used to show unwillingness or refusal to do something.
Examples:
- I have asked the noisy children to keep quiet, but they won't listen.
- I shan’t make any payment until I receive all the goods.
The followings show the different ways that can be used to express the future in English:
- Will
- Going to
- Be to
- Be about to
- Simple Present tense
- Present continuous tense
- Will
Will is used to refer to the future in the following ways:
say something that is certain to occur in the future.
Examples:
- A meeting will be held next Monday at 2 p.m.
I won’t be at the office tomorrow.
say something that is not so certain to happen.
Examples:
- I think he will phone me later.
I heard the new will open next week.
make a prediction.
Examples:
- The rain will stop soon.
- I bet the away team will lose by two goals.
I shall be judged only by God.
state a fact..
Examples:
- Oil will float on water.
- Widening the road will improve traffic flow.
express willingness to do something in the future.
Examples:
- I will help you clear the rat-infested storeroom in a moment.
- We will spend our holiday decorating the flat.
make a sudden decision at the moment of speaking.
Examples:
- There's a noise outside. I will just go and check.
- I will make some tea.
give a command
Examples:
- You will report to me at eight o'clock tomorrow.
- The notice says all visitors shall leave the park by 8 p.m.
give an invitation, make an order or a threat.
Examples:
- They will invite Professor Dunce to speak at the scientific conference.
- I will have a double brandy.
- Give me your wallet or I will slit your throat with this.
make a suggestion or promise.
Examples:
- If you like, we will meet here after you finish shopping.
- I can assure you that it won’t happen again.
- Shall we all go together in one car?
create a conditional situation where something must happen in order for something else to happen.
Examples:
- If you come along with me, I will buy you an ice cream.
- It will bite if you press it.
ask a question.
Examples:
- Will you look after my things for a while, please? (Ask a favour of someone)
- Shall I give you a lift to the airport? (Ask a first-person question.)
- Will you phone your mother-in-law to apologize, please?
- Shall we sneak a couple of bottles of brandy through Customs?
- Be going to
Be going to + base form of main verb
Intention, decision, plans or arrangements already made to do or not to do for the near future prior to the time of speaking.
Examples:
- We are going to visit the zoo on Sunday.
- We are going to move to a new neighbourhood next month.
We are not going to look for wild mushrooms this weekend.
Prediction of an outcome based on current situation.
Examples:
- Look at the overcast sky. It is going to rain hard.
When be going to and will are used to make predictions, they mean the same.
- He thinks his son's team will win the match.
- He thinks his son'e team is going to win the match.
Be going to and will are used to describe future situations or actions, and they often convey the same meaning.
Examples:
- My son is going to be ten month.
- My son will be ten next month.
- We are going to leave as soon as he arrives.
- We will leave as soon as he arrives.
- We are going to get something at the corner shop when it stops raining.
- We will get something at the corner shop when it stops raining.
When the speaker is absolutely sure about something, he can use will or be going to.
Examples:
- I will be at the meeting tomorrow.
- I am going to be at the meeting tomorrow.
- I will probably be at the meeting tomorrow.
I am probably going to be at the meeting tomorrow.
Sometimes be going to and will express different meanings.
Be going to is used to indicate a plan made before the time of speaking while will expresses a decision made at the time of speaking.
Examples:
- We are going to visit Jill in the hospital tomorrow.
(When we came to know that Jill was admitted to the hospital, we arranged to visit her the next day [tomorrow] - a prior plan.) - It is getting late. We will leave now.
(The speaker decides to leave the moment he realizes it is getting late - a sudden decision.)
When a decision or plan is made for the distant future, will is usually used, while going to is usually used when a plan is made for the near future.
Examples:
- She will get married in two years.
We are going to visit them again early next month.
We use be going to when there is an intention to do something and will for additional information.
Examples:
- It's their twentieth wedding anniversary. They are going to have a celebratory party. (NOT: They will have a celebratory party.) They will invite about a dozen close friends. The friends will include two politicians.
- Be to
Be to (= is/are) + base form of main verb
Be to refers to an action that is to take place in the future, such as an obligation, arrangement, information, duty, instruction. However, other forms of usage indicating what will happen are possible.
Examples:
- You are to hand this packet over to him before noon. (Obligation)
- The Prime Minister is to meet his successor tomorrow. (Arrangement)
- The museum is to be closed for renovation. (Information)
- The General Manager is to present the report to the board on Monday. (Duty)
You are not to answer any questions from any one of the reporters. (Instruction)
- Be about to
Be about to + base form of main verb
Be about to is used for an action or event that will happen very soon.
Examples:
- Everyone sits down when the film is about to start.
- I have never drunk alcohol in my life, and I am not about to start now.
- We walked quickly home when it was about to rain.
- The audience fell silent when the President was about to appear.
When a plane is moved to the end of a runway, it usually means it is about to take off.
When be about to is used with just, it emphasizes that something was about to happen in the past when it was interrupted by something else, also in the past.
Examples:
- I was just about to eat my dinner when the phone rang.
The workers were just about to leave their workplace when the fire started.
5. Simple present tense
The simple present tense is used for the future when we refer to something that has been scheduled or arranged to happen at a particular time such as a timetable.
Examples:
- The first flight to Rome leaves at 6 a.m.
- The train for Birmingham departs from platform 3.
- The special sales offer ends on August 31.
- The new airport opens on Christmas Eve.
- The public exhibition of a collection of his paintings closes in a week.
Simple present tense and present continuous tense
Both the simple present and the present continuous tenses can be used to refer to the future.
Examples:
- They have a drinking session next Sunday.
(The simple present tense indicates the drinking session occurs every Sunday.) - They are having a drinking session next Sunday.
(The present continuous tense indicates a drinking session next Sunday; perhaps, not every Sunday.)
6. Present continuous tense
The present continuous tense is used for future arrangements.
Examples:
- I am having dinner with him at seven o'clock.
- She is flying to London tomorrow morning.
- John is leaving the company next week after 15 years' service.
- We are visiting the Niagara Falls in three weeks.
My brother is writing another book next month.
The present continuous tense is used in questions about future plans.
Examples:
- When is your family leaving for Timbuktu?
What are you doing this weekend?
Present continuous and be going to
Present continuous tense and be going to can have the same meaning as used here to describe actions that are planned or arranged for the future prior to the time of speaking. Will is not used here.
Examples:
- I am going to watch my favourite TV programme this evening.
- I am watching my favourite TV programme this evening.
- He is going to attend a seminar tomorrow.
- He is attending a seminar tomorrow.
Not be going to with go
It is not incorrect to construct a sentence with be going to with the verb go. Use the present continuous tense instead as it is more commonly used.
Examples:
- Not: They are going to go fishing this weekend.
Yes: They are going fishing this weekend.
Simple Future Tense
Simple future tense is one of the ways in which the future time is indicated in English. The form of the simple future tense is will/shall + the root form of the verb. Usually, I and we are used with shall, whereas they, she, he, it etc. are used with will.
Uses
1. The simple present tense is used to talk about things, which we cannot control. It expresses the future as a fact.
Examples:
I shall be twenty next Saturday.
It will be Diwali in a week.
We will know our exam results in May.
2. The simple present tense is used to talk about what we think or believe will happen in the future.
Examples:
I think England will win the match.
I am sure Helen will get a first class.
As in the above sentences, we often use this tense with I think, and I’m sure. We also say I expect …………., I believe……………., probably …………., etc.
3. The simple present tense is used when we decide to do something at the time of speaking.
Examples:
It is raining. I will take an umbrella.
Sam is busy at the moment. I’ll wait for him at the lobby.
'Going to' to indicate future time
The future time is also expressed with ‘going to’.
1. We use the ‘going to’ form to indicate future time when we have decided to do something before talking about it. The form is be going to + the root form of the verb.
Examples:
“Why do you want to sell your motorbike?”
“I’m going to buy a car.”
Remember that if the action is already decided upon and preparations have been made, we should use the going to form, not the simple future tense. The simple future tense is used for an instant decision.
2. We also use the going to form to talk about what seems likely or certain, when there is something in the present, which tells us about the future.
Examples:
It is going to rain; look at those clouds.
The boat is full of water. It is going to sink.
She is going to have a baby.
3. The going to form may also express an action, which is on the point of happening.
Examples:
Let’s get into the train. It’s going to leave.
Look! The cracker is going to explode.
'Be about to' to indicate future time
Be about to+ root form of the verb can also be used for the immediate future.
Examples:
Let us get into the train. It’s about to leave.
Don’t go out now. We are about to have lunch.
Simple present tense to indicate future time
1. The simple present tense is used for official programmes and timetables.
Examples:
The college opens on 23rd June.
When does the next train leave?
2. The simple present tense is often used for future time in clauses with if, unless, when, while, as, before, after, until, by the time, and as soon as. The simple future tense is not used in such cases.
Examples:
I won’t go out if it rains.
Please ring me up as soon as he comes.
Present continuous tense to indicate future time
We use the present continuous tense when we talk about something that we have planned to do in the future. It is advised to use the present continuous (not simple present) for personal arrangements.
Examples:
I am going to Paris tomorrow.
We are eating out tonight.
Worksheet
- The plane …………… at 3.30 pm. (arrives, will arrive)
- I will phone you when he …………….. back. (comes, will come)
- I ……………… the Lees this evening. (visit, am visiting)
- Look at those black clouds. It …………………. rain. (will, is going to)
- I am sure she …………………. the exam. (passes, will pass)
- Unless we ………………. now we can’t be on time. (will start, start)
- I ………………… home next Sunday. (go, am going)
- Help! I ……………………… fall. (will, am going to)
- The next term ………………….. on 16th November. (begins, is going to begin)
- Oh dear! I …………………….. sneeze. (am going to, will)
Answers
- The plane arrives at 3.30 pm.
- I will phone you when he comes back.
- I am visiting the Lees this evening.
- Look at those black clouds. It is going to rain.
- I am sure she will pass the exam.
- Unless we start now we can’t be on time.
- I am going home next Sunday.
- Help! I am going to fall.
- The next term begins on 16th November.
- Oh dear! I am going to sneeze.
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Present Tense
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