English Tense system English grammar is not as complex as the grammar system of many other languages.

But it has been rendered into a confusion due to misconceptions and misinterpretations. English tense system ,for example, has no possibility of a Future Tense but the puritans of English Grammar are not open to reason and fact. Let the puritans take it or leave it but let them be fair enough and not reject the facts given hereunder through obstinacy devoid of facts.

English has Just two tenses: 1. Present Tense 2. Past tense Take any 6 verb s and conjugate each one. I take the following 5. Infinitive Present Tense To speak Speak , speaks To run Run, runs To call call, calls To go go, goes To cut cut, cuts To be be, is, am, are Past Tense Spoke ran called went cut Was, were Perfective* Participle* spoken ran called gone cut been speaking Running Calling going cutting being

This is the conjugation of the English verbs and there is no mention of the phrase future tense anywhere just because the English verb

does not have any form (..) for future time. Does it mean that there is no possibility/provision for expressing /speaking about future time on English language? That would be catastrophic for any language. the fact is that English language uses the other two tenses ;(present Tense and Past tense ) for talking about/indicating future. Lets clarify this concept before we go further. Future Time in English language: There are ways of expressing future time in English language. 1. Using the present tense verbs will/shall ( recall that will is the present tense form of the past form would and shall of should): i) ii) iii) I will (Ill) wait for you at the bus station tomorrow. Ill be there early in the morning on the scheduled day. Ill join the new group next month.

Future time There are five chief ways of expressing future time in the English verb phrase. The most important future constructions are those which use will (shall) and be going (A) Will/shall (see 501) 130 Will (often reduced t.() 'II), or shall (with a first person subject) can express the neutral future of prediction : Tomorrow's weather will be cold and cloudy.

It is particularly common in the main clause of a sentence with an ifclause or another conditional adverbial (see 208-16): If you press this button, the door will slide back. Wherever you go, you will find the local people friendly. In, that case, I'll have to change my plan. BU,t with personal subjects, will/shall can also suggest an element of intention : I'll meet you at the station. She'll make a cup of coffee if you ask her. (B) Be going to ile going to + INFINITIVE tends to indicate the future as a fulfilment of the present. This construction may refer to a future resulting from a present intention: What are you going to do today? I'm going to stay at home and write letters. He's going to be a doctor when he grows up. It may also refer to the future resulting from other causative factors in the present: I think I'm going to faint (ie I already feel ill). It's going to rain (ie I can already see black clouds gathering); , 131 (C) 131 In sentences like these last two, be going to also <;arries the expectation that the event will happen SOON. PROGRESSIVE ASPECT The present progressive is used for future events resulting from a present plan, programme, or arrangement: We're inviting several people to a party. Next they're playing a piece by Schubert. We're having fish for dinner. Like be going to, this construction (especially when there is no time adverbial)

often suggests the NEAR future: The Smiths are leaving (= soon). (0) SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE 133 The simple . present tense is used for the future in certain types of subordinate clause, especially adverbial time clauses and conditional clauses : {;::} he plays the band w play the National Anthem. Notice, however, that the verb 'in the MAIN clause has will. Some of the conjunctions which go with the present tense in this way are after, as, be/ore, once. until. when. as soon as. if; even if: unless. as long as. That-clauses following hope, assume, suppose, etc can also ~ontain a verb in the present tense referring to the future : 1 hope the train {isn't } late. won't be Apart from these cases, the simple present is used (but not too often) to refer to future events which are seen as absolutely certain, either a because they are determined in advance by calendar or timetable, or b because they are part of an unalterable plan: Tomorrow is a Saturday. The term starts at the beginning of October. The match takes place on Thursday. He retires next month. In these sentences, we may say that the speaker treats the event as a fact, and puts aside the doubt one normally feels about the future. Compare: 134 When .{d~ we } get there? will we (E) Will/shall + PROGRESSIVE ASPECT Will (or shall or 'II) followed by the progressive can be used in a regular way

to add the temporary meaning of the progressive to the future meaning of the will construction (see 129):' Don't call her at seven o'clock-she'll be eating dinner. But in addition, we can use the will+ Progressive construction in a special , way to refer to a future event which will take place 'as a matter of course': 55 When will you be moving? The train will be arriving soon. The construction is particularly useful for avoiding the suggestion of intention in the simple will-construction, and can therefore be more <polite). When will you visit us again? [4] When will you be pisiling us ? Sentence [4] is mosllikely to be a question about the listener's intentions, while sentence simply asks him to predict the time of his next visit. Be to, be aboulto; be on the point/verge of 135 Some other ways of expressing future meaning are illustrated here: The West German Chancellor is to visit France. The chairman is abollt 10 resign. He was on the point/verge a/leaving the country when the arrived. Be + to-infinitive signifies an arrangement for the future (especially an official while both be about to and all the point/verge ness of a future event. the nearThe future in the past 136 If we put the future constructions already mentioned (except the simple present) into the past tense, we arrive at a kind of 'future in the past' (ie future seen from a viewpoint in the past). But stich a as illustrated by was going

10 and was about to, usually carries the knowledge that the anticipated happening did not take place: They were just to punish him, when he The priceless tapestry was about to catchjire, but the firemen saved it. Was/were 10 and would are the only of constructions which refer to the fulfilled future in the past, but in Ihis sense style: are rare and rather After defeating Pompey's supporters, Caesar returned to Italy and proclaimed ,himself the permanent 'dictator' of Rome. He was to pay for his ambition in due course: a year later one of his best friends, Marcus Brutus, would lead a successful to assassinate him. in Howe,:,er, for a series of events like this, the ordinary past tense can be used throughout: returned, ... paid, ... led, etc. The past in the future 137 The past in the future is expressed will + Perfect Infinitive: Tomorrow Jean and Ken will have been married twenty years. Summary 138 In conclusion, here is a table some of the commonest meanings ex56 tense and aspect. The symbols used are explained on page 59. 139 Tobie: Tense and aspect r--------------~ PRESENT TIME 1 State (see 106) V....I., 2 Single event 107) 3 Habitual 4 5 B PAST TIME r-----~------ I State up to present

time (see I t5) THE 2 Indefinite PRESENT 115) TENSE THE PRESENT 3 to present PERFECT I 4 With present result 1l5) 5 state up to (see 116) THE PRESENT 6 habit up to PERFECT present time PROGRESSIVE 7 Temoorarv. with present I " / like Mary. I She gets He's nl'l!lIking She's getting up I've known years. I've seen better plays. He's conducted that orchestra for /5 years. You've ruined my dress! I've been an hour. He's been walking since he was 8 months old. You've been .... "fri ... , .~ 'n:mN' 'NOW' 'THEN' ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Past time Present time Future time

.".; e ______ -+_ :-. . " " ,. .. ;.. .. " " " " II II ,,1.,_ VI 00 8 Definite state (see 105, J lived in Africa when 120) I was YOWIK. 9 Definite event (see lOS) I saw him yesterday. 10 Definite habit (see 105, J{got -} u 120) used to get p. ; early in those days. I THE PAST 11 Definite temporary We we,e watching TV. THE PROGRESSlVE (see 122) PAST 12 Past before past time I had visited the island nNSE THE (event) (see 117) before. PAST 13 State up to past time I had krwwn him PERFECT (see 111) since birth. - I THE PAST PERFECT 14 Temporary state up to They had been lying in PROGRESSlV..!_ past time (see 117) wait for him. C FUTURE TIME Will/shall 15 Future time (neutral) The letter will arrive (see 129) tomo"ow. Be going to 16 Future time (arising from Prices are going to rise. present time) (see 130) / THE PItESENT PROGRESSIVE 17 Future time (plan or We're moving next arrangement) (see 131) week. THE siMPLE PRESENT 18 Future time (as fact) The match starts at (see 133) 2.00 p.m. Will/shall + THE PROGilESSIvE 19 Future time (as matter I'll be seeing you soon. of course) (see 134) Will/shall + THE PROGRESSIVE 20 Future time (temporary) T1re astronauts will be (see 134) sleeping at 4.00 a.m.

Will/shall + THE PERFECT 21 Past in Future time T1re plane will have (see 137) . landed by then. , ~--,, ,, -, :-----..;..~ , , !------+ ! ~------) i -. i .'/", -.1.:--' ! I single event state I habit or series of events temporary state or event , " temporary habit .' '.' ,.,.\,.' '.' The time dimension is expressed by a left-to-right arrow chain: ( '"" '"" '"" =- =- '=> ). A definite point of time ('NOW' or 'THI:N') is expressed by a dotted vertical line (i) , The broken arrow (- - - ~) indicates anticipation of something happe'nihg at a later time.