Future Simple Tense
The Future Simple Tense is used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future. It is also used to make predictions, express spontaneous decisions, or indicate future plans.
Formation
The simple future tense is formed using "will" or "shall" + the base form of the main verb.
| Subject | Auxiliary Verb (will) | Verb Example (to eat) |
|---|---|---|
| I / You / We / They / He / She / It | will | eat |
- Affirmative: I will eat, She will eat
- Negative: I will not eat (or I won’t eat), They will not eat (or They won’t eat)
- Interrogative: Will you eat?, Will he eat?
Usage
- Future Actions: Describes actions that will happen in the future.
- They will arrive tomorrow.
- Predictions: Used to make guesses or predictions about the future.
- It will rain later.
- Spontaneous Decisions: Describes decisions made at the moment of speaking.
- I’ll help you with that.
- Promises or Offers: Expresses promises or offers.
- I will call you later.
- Plans and Intentions (less common usage): Shall can also be used with I and we for formal or polite suggestions.
- Shall we go for a walk?
Examples:
- Affirmative: We will travel next week.
- Negative: He won’t be at the meeting.
- Interrogative: Will you attend the party?
Notes
- Shall is less common in modern English but can be used with I and we for polite or formal statements, particularly in British English.
- The Simple Future is often used with time expressions like tomorrow, next week, in an hour, soon, etc.
Common Time Expressions
| Expression | Example |
|---|---|
| Tomorrow | I will see you tomorrow. |
| Next (week/month/year) | She will start next month. |
| In + time period | We will leave in an hour. |
| Soon | He will call you soon. |
