Understanding future tense verbs is crucial for kids and beginners learning English. It allows them to express actions and events that will happen in the future, enhancing their ability to communicate effectively about plans, predictions, and intentions.
This article will provide a comprehensive guide to future tense verbs, complete with definitions, examples, usage rules, and practice exercises, making it an invaluable resource for young learners and those new to the English language.
This guide breaks down the complexities of future tense verbs into manageable segments, ensuring that learners grasp the concepts thoroughly. By mastering future tense verbs, students will be able to confidently discuss future events and improve their overall language proficiency.
This article caters to elementary and beginner-level students, offering a progressively challenging approach to facilitate optimal learning.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Definition of Future Tense Verbs
- Structural Breakdown of Future Tense Verbs
- Types and Categories of Future Tense
- Examples of Future Tense Verbs
- Usage Rules for Future Tense Verbs
- Common Mistakes with Future Tense Verbs
- Practice Exercises
- Advanced Topics in Future Tense
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Conclusion
Definition of Future Tense Verbs
Future tense verbs are used to describe actions or events that will occur at a later time. They indicate what will happen, be done, or exist in the future.
The future tense helps us talk about plans, predictions, promises, and intentions regarding events yet to come. This is a fundamental aspect of English grammar, allowing for clear communication about upcoming activities and expectations.
In English, the future tense is not formed by a single verb conjugation like in some other languages. Instead, it relies on auxiliary verbs (helping verbs) such as will and shall, or the phrase going to, combined with the base form of the main verb. Understanding these structures is key to using the future tense correctly.
Structural Breakdown of Future Tense Verbs
The structure of future tense verbs varies depending on the specific type of future tense being used. Here’s a breakdown of the common structures:
- Simple Future: will/shall + base form of the verb
- Future Continuous: will be + present participle (verb + -ing)
- Future Perfect: will have + past participle
- Future Perfect Continuous: will have been + present participle (verb + -ing)
- “Going To” Future: am/is/are + going to + base form of the verb
Each of these structures conveys a slightly different nuance about the timing and duration of the future action. Mastering these structures is essential for accurate and effective communication.
For instance, the simple future is generally used for predictions and spontaneous decisions, while the future continuous is used for actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.
Types and Categories of Future Tense
Simple Future Tense
The simple future tense is used to express actions that will happen in the future. It is often used for predictions, promises, and spontaneous decisions. The auxiliary verbs will and shall are used to form the simple future. Although shall is less common in modern English, it is still used in formal contexts or to offer suggestions.
The structure is typically: Subject + will/shall + base form of the verb. For example, “I will go to the store” or “They will play soccer.”
Future Continuous Tense
The future continuous tense describes an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. It emphasizes the duration of the action and is often used to describe ongoing activities.
The structure is: Subject + will be + present participle (verb + -ing).
For example, “I will be studying at 8 PM tonight” or “They will be playing in the park tomorrow afternoon.”
Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect tense indicates that an action will be completed before a specific time in the future. It emphasizes the completion of the action and is often used to express anticipation or expectation.
The structure is: Subject + will have + past participle.
For example, “I will have finished my homework by the time you arrive” or “They will have eaten dinner before the movie starts.”
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
The future perfect continuous tense describes an action that will have been in progress for a period of time before a specific time in the future. It emphasizes the duration of the action leading up to a future point.
The structure is: Subject + will have been + present participle (verb + -ing).
For example, “I will have been working here for five years by next January” or “They will have been practicing for hours before the concert begins.”
“Going To” Future
The “going to” future is used to express plans, intentions, or predictions based on present evidence. It is often used to describe actions that are already decided or very likely to happen.
The structure is: Subject + am/is/are + going to + base form of the verb.
For example, “I am going to visit my grandmother tomorrow” or “It is going to rain later today.”
Examples of Future Tense Verbs
Below are several tables with examples of different future tense verbs in sentences. These examples will help illustrate how each type of future tense is used in context.
Table 1: Simple Future Tense Examples
The following table provides examples of the simple future tense using both “will” and “shall.” Notice how the verb remains in its base form after the auxiliary verb.
Subject | Auxiliary Verb | Base Verb | Sentence |
---|---|---|---|
I | will | study | I will study for the test tomorrow. |
You | will | travel | You will travel to Europe next summer. |
He | will | play | He will play basketball after school. |
She | will | read | She will read a book before bed. |
It | will | rain | It will rain tomorrow. |
We | shall | go | We shall go to the beach on Saturday. |
They | will | watch | They will watch a movie tonight. |
I | will | eat | I will eat pizza for dinner. |
You | will | learn | You will learn a lot in this class. |
He | will | run | He will run in the marathon next month. |
She | will | sing | She will sing at the concert. |
It | will | snow | It will snow in the winter. |
We | will | visit | We will visit our grandparents next week. |
They | will | dance | They will dance at the party. |
I | will | call | I will call you later. |
You | will | write | You will write a letter to your friend. |
He | will | cook | He will cook dinner tonight. |
She | will | paint | She will paint a picture tomorrow. |
It | will | grow | The plant will grow tall. |
We | will | clean | We will clean the house on Sunday. |
They | will | build | They will build a new house. |
I | will | buy | I will buy a new car next year. |
You | will | sell | You will sell your old bike. |
He | will | drive | He will drive to work tomorrow. |
She | will | fly | She will fly to Paris next month. |
It | will | break | It will break if you drop it. |
We | will | fix | We will fix the car this weekend. |
They | will | learn | They will learn to speak Spanish. |
Table 2: Future Continuous Tense Examples
This table demonstrates the future continuous tense, which describes actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. Note the “will be + verb-ing” structure.
Subject | Auxiliary Verb | Present Participle | Sentence |
---|---|---|---|
I | will be | studying | I will be studying at 7 PM tonight. |
You | will be | traveling | You will be traveling during the summer. |
He | will be | playing | He will be playing video games later. |
She | will be | reading | She will be reading a novel tomorrow. |
It | will be | raining | It will be raining when you arrive. |
We | will be | watching | We will be watching the game on TV. |
They | will be | eating | They will be eating dinner at 6 PM. |
I | will be | working | I will be working all day tomorrow. |
You | will be | sleeping | You will be sleeping when I call. |
He | will be | running | He will be running in the park. |
She | will be | singing | She will be singing at the party. |
It | will be | snowing | It will be snowing in the mountains. |
We | will be | visiting | We will be visiting our family next month. |
They | will be | dancing | They will be dancing at the wedding. |
I | will be | cooking | I will be cooking dinner when you get home. |
You | will be | writing | You will be writing your essay tonight. |
He | will be | driving | He will be driving to the airport. |
She | will be | flying | She will be flying to New York tomorrow. |
It | will be | growing | The plants will be growing rapidly. |
We | will be | cleaning | We will be cleaning the house all morning. |
They | will be | building | They will be building a new school. |
I | will be | buying | I will be buying a new phone next week. |
You | will be | selling | You will be selling your car online. |
He | will be | fixing | He will be fixing the roof. |
She | will be | painting | She will be painting the walls. |
It | will be | shining | The sun will be shining brightly. |
We | will be | learning | We will be learning new skills. |
They | will be | studying | They will be studying for their exams. |
Table 3: Future Perfect Tense Examples
The following table provides examples of the future perfect tense, which indicates the completion of an action before a specific time in the future. The structure is “will have + past participle.”
Subject | Auxiliary Verb | Past Participle | Sentence |
---|---|---|---|
I | will have | finished | I will have finished my homework by tomorrow. |
You | will have | traveled | You will have traveled the world by the time you’re 30. |
He | will have | played | He will have played the game before we arrive. |
She | will have | read | She will have read the book by next week. |
It | will have | stopped | It will have stopped raining by noon. |
We | will have | watched | We will have watched the movie by the end of the week. |
They | will have | eaten | They will have eaten dinner before the show starts. |
I | will have | worked | I will have worked here for 10 years next year. |
You | will have | slept | You will have slept for 8 hours by morning. |
He | will have | run | He will have run the marathon by the end of the day. |
She | will have | sung | She will have sung all the songs by the end of the concert. |
It | will have | snowed | It will have snowed a lot by January. |
We | will have | visited | We will have visited all our relatives by Christmas. |
They | will have | danced | They will have danced all night by the time the party ends. |
I | will have | cooked | I will have cooked all the dishes by the evening. |
You | will have | written | You will have written the report by Friday. |
He | will have | driven | He will have driven 500 miles by tomorrow. |
She | will have | flown | She will have flown to Italy by next month. |
It | will have | grown | The tree will have grown significantly by next year. |
We | will have | cleaned | We will have cleaned the entire house by lunchtime. |
They | will have | built | They will have built the new bridge by the end of the year. |
I | will have | bought | I will have bought all the presents by Christmas Eve. |
You | will have | sold | You will have sold your old car by next week. |
He | will have | fixed | He will have fixed the car by tomorrow morning. |
She | will have | painted | She will have painted the entire room by the weekend. |
It | will have | dried | The clothes will have dried by the afternoon. |
We | will have | learned | We will have learned a lot by the end of the course. |
They | will have | studied | They will have studied all the material before the exam. |
Table 4: “Going To” Future Examples
This table illustrates the “going to” future, used for plans, intentions, and predictions based on present evidence. The structure is “am/is/are + going to + base form of the verb.”
Subject | Auxiliary Verb | “Going to” | Base Verb | Sentence |
---|---|---|---|---|
I | am | going to | study | I am going to study tonight. |
You | are | going to | travel | You are going to travel next year. |
He | is | going to | play | He is going to play soccer tomorrow. |
She | is | going to | read | She is going to read a book. |
It | is | going to | rain | It is going to rain later. |
We | are | going to | watch | We are going to watch a movie. |
They | are | going to | eat | They are going to eat pizza. |
I | am | going to | work | I am going to work on the project. |
You | are | going to | sleep | You are going to sleep early. |
He | is | going to | run | He is going to run a marathon. |
She | is | going to | sing | She is going to sing at the show. |
It | is | going to | snow | It is going to snow this winter. |
We | are | going to | visit | We are going to visit our friends. |
They | are | going to | dance | They are going to dance at the party. |
I | am | going to | cook | I am going to cook dinner. |
You | are | going to | write | You are going to write a story. |
He | is | going to | drive | He is going to drive to the city. |
She | is | going to | fly | She is going to fly to Spain. |
It | is | going to | grow | The plant is going to grow tall. |
We | are | going to | clean | We are going to clean the house. |
They | are | going to | build | They are going to build a new school. |
I | am | going to | buy | I am going to buy a new book. |
You | are | going to | sell | You are going to sell your bike. |
He | is | going to | fix | He is going to fix the car. |
She | is | going to | paint | She is going to paint a picture. |
It | is | going to | shine | The sun is going to shine tomorrow. |
We | are | going to | learn | We are going to learn new things. |
They | are | going to | study | They are going to study for the exam. |
Usage Rules for Future Tense Verbs
Understanding the specific rules for using each future tense is crucial for accurate communication. Here are some key rules to remember:
- “Will” vs. “Shall”: In modern English, “will” is generally used for all subjects to express future actions. “Shall” is less common but is still used in formal contexts or to offer suggestions, particularly with “I” and “we.”
- Contractions: “Will” is often contracted to “‘ll” (e.g., I’ll, you’ll, he’ll).
- “Going To”: Use “going to” for plans and intentions that are already decided. It can also be used for predictions based on current evidence.
- Time Expressions: Future tense verbs are often used with time expressions such as “tomorrow,” “next week,” “in the future,” “soon,” and “later.”
It’s also important to consider the context when choosing the appropriate future tense. The simple future is suitable for general predictions, while the future continuous emphasizes ongoing actions in the future, and the future perfect highlights actions completed before a specific time.
Common Mistakes with Future Tense Verbs
Here are some common mistakes that learners often make when using future tense verbs:
- Incorrect use of “will” and “shall”: Using “shall” with subjects other than “I” and “we” in informal contexts.
- Forgetting the base form of the verb after “will” or “shall”: Saying “I will going” instead of “I will go.”
- Misusing “going to”: Using “going to” without the correct form of “be” (am, is, are). For example, saying “I going to go” instead of “I am going to go.”
- Incorrect verb form with future continuous: Forgetting the “be” in the future continuous tense. Saying “I will studying” instead of “I will be studying.”
- Incorrect past participle with future perfect: Using the base form or present participle instead of the past participle after “will have.” For example, saying “I will have eat” instead of “I will have eaten.”
Table 5: Correct vs. Incorrect Examples
This table highlights some common mistakes with future tense verbs and provides the correct alternatives.
Incorrect | Correct | Explanation |
---|---|---|
I shall go to the party (informal) | I will go to the party | “Will” is more common in informal contexts |
I will going to the store | I will go to the store | Use the base form of the verb after “will” |
I going to go home | I am going to go home | Use the correct form of “be” with “going to” |
I will studying tomorrow | I will be studying tomorrow | Use “will be” with the present participle for future continuous |
I will have eat dinner | I will have eaten dinner | Use the past participle after “will have” |
He going to the park | He is going to the park | Correct form of “be” is needed with ‘He’ |
They will visited the museum | They will visit the museum | Base form after will |
She will be finished the work | She will have finished the work | Future Perfect tense needed |
We shall to go | We shall go | No “to” after shall |
It will rained | It will rain | Base form after will |
Practice Exercises
Test your understanding of future tense verbs with these exercises. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the future tense verb.
Exercise 1: Simple Future
Fill in the blanks with “will” or “shall” and the base form of the verb in parentheses.
- I ______ (visit) my friend tomorrow.
- They ______ (play) soccer in the park.
- She ______ (read) a book tonight.
- We ______ (go) to the movies next week.
- He ______ (eat) dinner at 7 PM.
- You ______ (learn) a lot in this class.
- It ______ (rain) tomorrow.
- I ______ (call) you later.
- They ______ (arrive) soon.
- She ______ (sing) at the concert.
Answer Key:
- will visit
- will play
- will read
- shall go / will go
- will eat
- will learn
- will rain
- will call
- will arrive
- will sing
Exercise 2: Future Continuous
Fill in the blanks with “will be” and the present participle of the verb in parentheses.
- I ______ (study) at 8 PM tonight.
- They ______ (watch) TV when you arrive.
- She ______ (sleep) when I call.
- We ______ (eat) dinner at 6 PM.
- He ______ (work) all day tomorrow.
- You ______ (travel) during the summer.
- It ______ (rain) when we leave.
- I ______ (cook) dinner tonight.
- They ______ (dance) at the party.
- She ______ (sing) at the concert.
Answer Key:
- will be studying
- will be watching
- will be sleeping
- will be eating
- will be working
- will be traveling
- will be raining
- will be cooking
- will be dancing
- will be singing
Exercise 3: Future Perfect
Fill in the blanks with “will have” and the past participle of the verb in parentheses.
- I ______ (finish) my homework by tomorrow.
- They ______ (eat) dinner before the show starts.
- She ______ (read) the book by next week.
- We ______ (visit) our relatives by Christmas.
- He ______ (run) the marathon by the end of the day.
- You ______ (travel) the world by the time you’re 30.
- It ______ (stop) raining by noon.
- I ______ (work) here for 10 years next year.
- They ______ (build) the new bridge by the end of the year.
- She ______ (sing) all the songs by the end of the concert.
Answer Key:
- will have finished
- will have eaten
- will have read
- will have visited
- will have run
- will have traveled
- will have stopped
- will have worked
- will have built
- will have sung
Exercise 4: “Going To” Future
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “be” (am, is, are) and “going to” and the base form of the verb in parentheses.
- I ______ (study) tonight.
- They ______ (play) soccer tomorrow.
- She ______ (read) a book.
- We ______ (watch) a movie.
- He ______ (eat) pizza.
- You ______ (sleep) early.
- It ______ (rain) later.
- I ______ (cook) dinner.
- They ______ (dance) at the party.
- She ______ (sing) at the show.
Answer Key:
- am going to study
- are going to play
- is going to read
- are going to watch
- is going to eat
- are going to sleep
- is going to rain
- am going to cook
- are going to dance
- is going to sing
Advanced Topics in Future Tense
For more advanced learners, here are some additional aspects of future tense to consider:
- Future in the Past: This tense describes what someone said, thought, or believed would happen in the future. It uses “would” instead of “will” (e.g., “He said he would come”).
- Using Present Continuous for Future: The present continuous tense can be used to express future arrangements that are already
arranged (e.g., “I am meeting my friend tomorrow”).
- Using Present Simple for Future: The present simple tense can be used for scheduled events (e.g., “The train leaves at 6 AM”).
- Varying Degrees of Certainty: Use modal verbs like “might,” “may,” and “could” to express different levels of certainty about future events (e.g., “It might rain later”).
Understanding these nuanced usages can significantly enhance your ability to communicate effectively and precisely about future events.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the difference between “will” and “going to”?
Answer: “Will” is often used for spontaneous decisions, predictions, and promises, while “going to” is used for plans and intentions already decided upon, or predictions based on present evidence.
When should I use the future continuous tense?
Answer: Use the future continuous tense to describe an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. It emphasizes the duration of the action.
What is the future perfect tense used for?
Answer: The future perfect tense indicates that an action will be completed before a specific time in the future. It emphasizes the completion of the action.
Can I use “shall” instead of “will”?
Answer: While “shall” is grammatically correct, it is less common in modern English, especially in informal contexts. It is generally used with “I” and “we” for suggestions or formal statements.
How can I avoid common mistakes with future tense verbs?
Answer: Pay close attention to the structure of each future tense, ensure you use the correct auxiliary verbs (will, shall, am/is/are), and double-check the form of the main verb (base form, present participle, past participle).
Conclusion
Mastering future tense verbs is essential for effective communication in English. By understanding the different types of future tenses—simple future, future continuous, future perfect, and “going to” future—learners can accurately express plans, predictions, and intentions.
Through clear explanations, examples, and practice exercises, this guide has provided a comprehensive overview of future tense verbs, equipping beginners and young learners with the tools they need to confidently discuss future events. Keep practicing and applying these concepts to enhance your language proficiency and communicate with greater precision.