EXPRESSING FUTURE IN ENGLISH

- An activity which will take place in the future can be expressed by the following tenses and
forms:

1. The Future Simple Tense

2. The Future Progressive Tense

3. The Present Simple Tense

4. The Present Perfect Tense

5. The Present Progressive

6. The Future Perfect Tense

7. The Future Perfect Progressive Tense

8. be going + to-infinitive

9. to be about + to-infinitive

1. The Future Simple

The Future Simple tense denotes an activity which will take place in the future, definite or
indefinite. It is used:
 to express intention (e.g., I will wait for you.)
 to make predictions about the future (e.g., I believe she will come tomorrow.)
 for promises (I’ll come with you, don’t worry.)
 for offers and requests (I’ll help you.)
  for threats and warnings (I won’t be patient next time.)
 for the decision of the moment (I will come with you.)
In modern English we usually use will + infinitive to express future. Shall is still found in
formal English, but is no longer common in conversation. However, shall is still used in the
interrogative:
 In question tags after let’s: Let’s go, shall we?
 In suggestions: Shall we take a taxi?
 In requests for orders or instructions: What shall I do with your mail?

2. The Future Progressive Tense

FORM: The Future Progressive is made up of the future simple of to be + the present participle.

Affirmative: I/ we/ you/ they/ he/ she/ it will be playing

Negative: I/ we/ you/ they/ he/ she/ it will not (won’t) be playing
Interrogative: Will you be working?

The Future Progressive Tense is used:

 to talk about actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future: (e.g., At
4 p.m. tomorrow, we will be travelling from work.), or will occupy a period of time
(e.g., We will be travelling all night.)

3. The Present Simple Tense

The Present Simple is used for:

 future actions related to official timetables, schedules and programmes. (e.g., The play starts
at 8 p.m. The bus leaves at 6.)
 in time clauses, e.g., As soon as I arrive, I will inform them about the latest news.
 Even though the action in the subordinate clause will happen in the future, we do not use
future forms.
Time clauses are introduced with as soon as, when, after, before, until, as and while.

4. The Present Perfect Tense

In adverbial clauses of time referring to future, we can also use the Present Perfect, e.g., I
will leave as soon as the meeting ends/ has ended.

5. The Present Progressive

The Present Progressive is used for planned and arranged future actions. (e.g., I’m flying to
Paris for the weekend – it means that I have planned this trip, and I have also arranged everything –
I have bought the plane tickets).

6. The Future Perfect Tense

FORM: The Future Perfect Simple is made up of will + perfect infinitive (have + past participle).

Affirmative: I/ we/ you/ they/ he/ she/ it will have gone

Negative: I/ we/ you/ they/ he/ she/ it will not (won’t) have gone
Interrogative: Will you have gone?

USE:
a. The future perfect simple is used to talk about actions that will be completed before a specific
time in the future (e.g., By the end of the next month, I will have been here for ten years), or before
another action in the future (e.g., She will have returned by the time you leave.)
7. The Future Perfect Progressive Tense

FORM: The Future Perfect Progressive is made up of will have been + present participle.

Affirmative: I/ we/ you/ they/ he/ she/ it will have been living
Negative: I/ we/ you/ they/ he/ she/ it will not (won’t) have been living
Interrogative: Will you have been living?

USE:
The Future Perfect Progressive is used to talk about the duration of an action up to a certain
point of time in the future. (e.g., By the end of the next month, I will have been living here for ten
years.)

8. be going + to-infinitive

Be going to + infinitive is used for:

 planned future actions, e.g., I’m going to spend the weekend with my friends in the
countryside, and
 predictions, e.g., It’s going to be rain.

9. to be about + to-infinitive

The form to be about + to-infinitive is used to express and activity that will happen soon,
Ie.g., am about to leave.