English Simple Future

FUNCTIONS OF THE SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

The simple future refers to a time later than now, and expresses facts or certainty. In this case there is no ‘attitude’. The simple future is used:

• To predict a future event: It will rain tomorrow.
• With I or We, to express a spontaneous decision: I’ll pay for the tickets by credit card.
• To express willingness: I’ll do the washing-up. He’ll carry your bag for you.
• In the negative form, to express unwillingness: The baby won’t eat his soup. I won’t leave until I’ve seen the manager!

• With I in the interrogative form using “shall”, to make an offer: Shall I open the window?
• With we in the interrogative form using “shall”, to make a suggestion: Shall we go to the cinema tonight?
• With I in the interrogative form using “shall”, to ask for advice or instructions: What shall I tell the boss about this money?
• With you, to give orders: You will do exactly as I say.
• With you in the interrogative form, to give an invitation: Will you come to the dance with me? Will you marry me?

Note:In modern English will is preferred to shall. Shall is mainly used with I and we to make an offer or suggestion, or to ask for advice (see examples above). With the other persons (you, he, she, they) shall is only used in literary or poetic situations, e.g. “With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She shall have music wherever she goes.”

FORMING THE SIMPLE FUTURE

The simple future tense is composed of two parts: will / shall + the infinitive without to

Subject	will	infinitive without to
Affirmative
I	will	go
I	shall	go
Negative
They	will not	see
They	won’t	see
Interrogative
Will	she	ask?
Interrogative negative
Won’t	they	try?

CONTRACTIONS

I will = I’ll We will = we’ll You will = you’ll He will = he’ll She will = she’ll They will = they’ll Will not = won’t The form “it will” is not normally shortened.

TO SEE: SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative	Interrogative Negative
I will see	I won’t see	Will I see?	Won’t I see?
*I shall see		*Shall I see?
You will see	You won’t see	Will you see?	Won’t you see?
He will see	He won’t see	Will he see?	Won’t he see?
We will see	We won’t see	Will we see?	Won’t we see?
*We shall see		*Shall we see?
They will see	They won’t see	Will they see?	Won’t they see?

*Shall is dated, but it is still commonly used instead of “will” with the affirmative or interrogative forms of I and we in certain cases (see above). Simple Future has two different forms in English: “will” and “be going to.” Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two very different meanings. These different meanings might seem too abstract at first, but with time and practice, the differences will become clear. Both “will” and “be going to” refer to a specific time in the future.

FORM Will

[will + verb]

FORM Be Going To

[am/is/are + going to + verb]

USE 1 “Will” to Express a Voluntary Action

“Will” often suggests that a speaker will do something voluntarily. A voluntary action is one the speaker offers to do for someone else. Often, we use “will” to respond to someone else’s complaint or request for help. We also use “will” when we request that someone help us or volunteer to do something for us. Similarly, we use “will not” or “won’t” when we refuse to voluntarily do something.

USE 2 “Will” to Express a Promise

“Will” is usually used in promises.

USE 3 “Be going to” to Express a Plan

“Be going to” expresses that something is a plan. It expresses the idea that a person intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the plan is realistic or not.

USE 4 “Will” or “Be Going to” to Express a Prediction

Both “will” and “be going to” can express the idea of a general prediction about the future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. In “prediction” sentences, the subject usually has little control over the future and therefore USES 1-3 do not apply. In the following examples, there is no difference in meaning.

IMPORTANT

In the Simple Future, it is not always clear which USE the speaker has in mind. Often, there is more than one way to interpret a sentence’s meaning.

No Future in Time Clauses

Like all future forms, the Simple Future cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Simple Future, Simple Present is used.

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

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