Future Tenses

1)Near Future

 general plans, arrangements for a certain future

 intentions, resolutions, firm decisions (near future)
 predictions based on evidence

Signal Words: look at …, watch out!; my intention / plan is …, actions such as getting out the
umbrella…

Aff: S+to be going to+vb

Neg: S+to be going to(neg)+vb

Int: Tobe+S+going to+vb?

2) Simple Future

 far future - you can’t do anything about it.

 personal opinions about the future.
 predictions without firm evidence.
 spontaneous decisions or offers (while speaking)
 future facts and first conditionals
 requests, wishes, promises, hopes, threats

Aff: S+shall (p1sg, pl)/ will+vb

Neg: S+ shall not/ will not+vb

Int: Shall/ Will+S+vb?

3) Future Continuous

 Actions in progress at a specific or certain time in the future – already planned or routines.

Signal Words: (at)this time next (week), in (6 months’) time, next (weekend), at (8) this
(evening), in (20) years

Aff: S+shall/will be+v-ing

Neg: S+shall not/ will not+v-ing

Int: Shall/ Will +S+V-ing?

4) Future Perfect
 actions completed by specific or certain time in the future.

Signal Words: by 2030, by the end of (the year), by now, by then, by (five years), by the time
(you)…, this time tomorrow, in (ten years’) time, in (four months), soon.

Aff: S+shall/will have+vb3/ed

Neg: S+shall not/ will not have+vb3/ed

Int: Shall/ Will+S+have+vb3/ed

Eg. I shall have been in hospital for three weeks, on July.

5) Future Perfect Continuous

 used for an action that will have been taking place up to a point in the future
 Signal words: for, since, by

Eg. When the clock strikes 2 the young people will have been dancing for three hours

Aff: S+shall/will have been+v-ing

Neg: S+shall/will (neg) have been +v-ing

Int: Shall/ Will+S+ have been+v-ing?

6) Present Continuous

 appointments / arrangements (i.e. at the dentist)

 fixed plans / dates (parties) – specific time or place
 programmed events (fights, interviews, weddings)

 with verbs of movement (to avoid repetition)

Signal Words: on Monday at 5 o’clock, this afternoon, tomorrow evening

7) Present Simple

 scheduled actions, fixed timetables (stations, cinemas)

 in future time clauses (after conjunctions of time)
 in first conditional clauses

Signal Words:
before, after, until, till, as soon as, when, while, once
if, unless, provided that, as long as