Future tenses

There are several different ways in English that you can talk about the future. This page is an introduction to the most important ones:

- Predictions/statements of fact- Intentions- Arrangements- Scheduled events

Predictions/statements of fact

The auxiliary verb will is used in making predictions or simple statements of fact about the future.

The sun will rise at 6.30 tomorrow. Lunch break today will be 10 minutes longer than usual. In the year 2050 all students will have their own computers in school. If you help me, I will help you. Do you think she will come soon? You won't pass your exams if you don't start working harder. I know my parents won't let me go to the party. Will it snow for Christmas? I know she's sick, but will she be back in school tomorrow?

Intentions

The auxiliary verb going to is used in talking about intentions. (An intention is a plan for the future that you have already thought about.)

We're going to buy a new car next month. I'm going to work in a bank when I leave school. In the new year I'm going to stop eating so much junk. He's not going to go to the dance. He's got too much work. I'm not going to watch TV until my science project is finished. Are you going to play basketball after school? What are you going to have for lunch today?

Note: going to is often used in the past tense to talk about an unfulfilled intention. Examples: I was going to study for my grammar test, but I had no time. / He was going to call you, but he couldn't find his mobile phone. / My grandmother was going to visit us, but she fell and broke her arm.

Arrangements

The present continuous tense is used in talking about arrangements. (An arrangement is a plan for the future that you have already thought aboutand discussed with someone else.)

I'm meeting my mother at the airport tomorrow. Our grandparents are visiting us this Christmas. Sorry, I can't stay after school today; I'm playing tennis with Jun-Sik. My sister's going to the dentist tomorrow. I'm not returning home for the holidays, so I can come to your party after all! Are you doing anything on Sunday morning? Do you know if he is going to the dance with Maiko next week?

Scheduled events

The present simple tense is usually used to refer to future events that are scheduled (and outside of our control).

Hurry up! The train departs in 10 minutes. I leave Frankfurt at 5 o'clock in the morning and arrive in New York

at midnight the next day.

She has an appointment with the headmaster after school today. There's no need to hurry. The train doesn't leave for another 30 minutes. When does the meeting begin?

Future Continuous Tense

I will be singing.

The Future Continuous tense is often used in English as a way to talk about something happening at a given point in the future.

The structure of the Future Continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary will + auxiliary be + main verb

will be present participle

The first auxiliary verb (will) is invariable: will

The second auxiliary verb (be) is invariable in base form: be

The main verb is invariable in present participle form: -ing

For negative sentences we insert not after the first auxiliary verb.

For question sentences, we exchange the subject and the first auxiliary verb.

Look at these example sentences with the Future Continuous tense:

  subjectauxiliary verb  

auxiliary verb main verb  

+ I will   be working at 10am.

+ You will   be lying on a beach tomorrow.

- She will not be using the car.

- We will not be having dinner at home.

? Will you   be playing football?

  subjectauxiliary verb  

auxiliary verb main verb  

? Will they   be watching TV?

Contraction with Future Continuous

When we use the Future Continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and the first auxiliary verb. We also sometimes do this in informal writing.

I will

→

I'll

you will you'll

he willshe willit will

he'llshe'llit'll

we will we'll

they will they'll

She'll be cooking dinner.

We'll be working all night.

In negative sentences, we may contract with won't, like this:

You won't be playing golf, will you?

They won't be using their car tomorrow.

We sometimes use shall instead of will, especially for I and we.

How do we use the Future Continuous Tense?

The Future Continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the future. The action will have started before that moment but it will not have finished at that moment. For example, tomorrow I will start work at 2pm and stop work at 6pm:

past present future

  4pm

    At 4pm, I will be in the middle of working.

At 4pm tomorrow, I will be working.

When we use the Future Continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time we are talking about. Look at these examples:

I will be playing tennis at 10am tomorrow.

They won't be watching TV at 9pm tonight.

What will you be doing at 10pm tonight?

What will you be doing when I arrive?

She will not be sleeping when you telephone her.

We'll be having dinner when the film starts.

Take your umbrella. It will be raining when you return.

Future Perfect

FORM Future Perfect with "Will"

[will have + past participle]

Examples:

You will have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.

Will you have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.?

You will not have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.

FORM Future Perfect with "Be Going To"

[am/is/are + going to have + past participle]

Examples:

You are going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.

Are you going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.?

You are not going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.

NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Perfect with little or no difference in meaning.

The Future Perfect expresses the idea that something will occur before another action in the future. It can also show that something will happen before a specific time in the future.

Examples:

By next November, I will have received my promotion.

By the time he gets home, she is going to have cleaned the entire house.

I am not going to have finished this test by 3 o'clock.

Will she have learned enough Chinese to communicate before she moves to Beijing?

Future Perfect Continuous

FORM Future Perfect Continuous with "Will"

[will have been + present participle]

Examples:

You will have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.

Will you have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives?

You will not have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.

FORM Future Perfect Continuous with "Be Going To"

[am/is/are + going to have been + present participle]

Examples:

You are going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.

Are you going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives?

You are not going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.

We use the Future Perfect Continuous to show that something will continue up until a particular event or time in the future. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Friday" are all durations which can be used with the Future Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous and the Past Perfect Continuous; however, with Future Perfect Continuous, the duration stops at or before a reference point in the future.

Examples:

They will have been talking for over an hour by the time Thomas arrives.

She is going to have been working at that company for three years when it finally closes.

James will have been teaching at the university for more than a year by the time he leaves for Asia.

How long will you have been studying when you graduate?

Future in the Past

Like Simple Future, Future in the Past has two different forms in English: "would" and "was going to." Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two different meanings.

FORM Would

[would + VERB]

Examples:

I knew you would help him.

I knew you would not help him.

FORM Was/Were Going To

[was/were + going to + VERB]

Examples:

I knew you were going to go to the party.

I knew you were not going to go to the party.

Future in the Past is used to express the idea that in the past you thought something would happen in the future. It does not matter if you are correct or not. Future in the Past follows the same basic rules as the Simple Future. "Would" is used to volunteer or promise, and "was going to" is used to plan. Moreover, both forms can be used to make predictions about the future.

Examples:

I told you he was going to come to the party. PLAN

I knew Julie would make dinner. VOLUNTARY ACTION

Jane said Sam was going to bring his sister with him, but he came alone. PLAN

I had a feeling that the vacation was going to be a disaster. PREDICTION

He promised he would send a postcard from Egypt. PROMISE

REMEMBER No Future in Time Clauses

Like all future forms, Future in the Past 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 using Future in the Past, you must use Simple Past.

Examples:

I already told Mark that when he would arrive, we would go out for dinner. Not Correct

I already told Mark that when he arrived, we would go out for dinner. Correct

Put the verbs into the correct form (simple future)

James, 18 years old, asked an ugly fortune teller about his future. Here is what she told him:

1. You (be)   very happy.

2. You (get)   a lot of money.

3. You (buy)   a beautiful house.

4. Your friends (envy)   you.

5. You (meet)   a beautiful girl.

6. You (marry)   her.

7. You and your wife (travel)   around the world.

8. People (serve)   you.

9. They (not/refuse)   to make you happy.

10. But all this (happen / only)   when you are 70 years old.

Choose the most appropriate answer.1. Mary wants to speak with you. – Please tell her that I       her as soon as I'm free.

 will call  will have called  will have been calling

2. Let's meet at eleven o'clock tomorrow. – Sorry, I       at eleven o'clock.

 will be working  will have worked  will have been working

3. Say goodbye to Ann now. By the time you return, she       for New York.

 will be leaving  will have left  will have been leaving

4. By 2020, he       as the director of this company for thirty years.

 will work  will be working  will have been working

5. Why don't you ask Jim for help? I'm sure that he       you.

 will help  will have helped  will have been helping

6. Please don't ring the doorbell when you get here. My baby       .

 will be sleeping  will have slept  will have been sleeping

7. Where are you going to spend your vacation? – I don't know yet. Maybe we       to Italy next summer.

 will go  will have gone  will have been going

8. She promised that she       him about it.

 won't tell  wouldn't tell  won't have told  wouldn't have told

9. Oh, you'll recognize him. He       a brown leather jacket and a red scarf.

 will be wearing  will have worn  will have been wearing

10. She buys too many things. She       all her money long before her next pay.

 will be spending  will have spent  will have been spending

Simple Future / Future Perfect

1.

Margaret: Do you think everything will be finished when I get back from the store? 

Jerry: Don't worry. By the time you get back, I (pick)   up the living room and

(finish)   washing the dishes. Everything will be perfect when your parents arrive. 

Margaret: I hope so. They (arrive)   around 6 o'clock. 

Jerry: Everything (be)   spotless by the time they get here. 

2.

Nick: I just have two more courses before I graduate from university. By this time next year, I

(graduate)  , and I will already be looking for a job. 

Stacey: Does that scare you? Are you worried about the future? 

Nick: Not really. I (go)   to a career counselor and get some advice on how to find

a good job. 

Stacey: That's a good idea. 

Nick: I am also going to do an internship so that when I leave school, I (complete, not

only)   over 13 business courses, but I (work, also)   in

the real world. 

3. 

Stan: Did you hear that Christine (take)   a vacation in South America this

winter? 

Fred: I can't believe how often she goes abroad. Where exactly does she want to go? 

Stan: She (visit)   Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. 

Fred: At this rate, she (visit)   every country in the world by the time she's 50. 

4. 

Judy: How long have you been in Miami? 

Elaine: I have only been here for a couple of weeks. 

Judy: How long do you plan on staying? 

Elaine: I love Miami, so I (stay)   here for an extended period of time. When I go

back home, I (be)   here for more than three months. 

Judy: Wow, that's quite a vacation! You (see, definitely)   just about

everything there is to see in Miami by then. 

5. 

Jane: I can't believe how late we are! By the time we get to the dinner, everyone (finish,

already)   eating. 

Jack: It's your own fault. You took way too long in the bathroom. 

Jane: I couldn't get my hair to look right. 

Jack: Who cares? By the time we get there, everyone (left)  . Nobody (see,

even)   your hair.

Future Perfect / Future Perfect Continuous

1. By the time we get to Chicago this evening, we (drive)   more than four hundred

miles. We are going to be exhausted. 

2. When Sarah goes on vacation next month, she (study)   German for over

two years. She should be able to communicate fairly well while she is in Austria. 

3. I have not traveled much yet; however, I (visit)   the Grand Canyon and San

Francisco by the time I leave the United States. 

4. By the time you finish studying the verb tense tutorial, you (master)   all

twelve tenses including their passive forms. 

5. Drive faster! If you don't hurry up, she (have)   the baby by the time we get to

the hospital. 

6. I came to England six months ago. I started my economics course three months ago. When I

return to Australia, I (study)   for nine months and I (be)   in

England for exactly one year. 

7. Margie just called and said she would be here at 8 o'clock. By the time she gets here, we

(wait)   for her for two hours. 

8. Frank just changed jobs again. If he keeps this up, he (change)   jobs at least

four or five times by the end of the year. 

9. Come over to my house around 9 o'clock. By then, I (complete)   my history

essay and we can go see a movie. 

10. In June, my grandmother and grandfather (be)   married for fifty years.

Future Perfect / Future Perfect Continuous

1.

Jack: Have you been watching the Eco-Challenge on TV? 

Janet: Isn't that exciting? It has got to be the most unbelievably difficult sporting event in the

world. 

Jack: I know. By the time they finish the course, they (raft)   more than 150 miles

down a raging river, (hike)  through 80 miles of jungle, (climb)   a

volcano and (kayak)   through shark-infested waters. 

Janet: And don't forget that they (move)   for at least eight days straight. 

2. 

Oliver: When are going to get your bachelor's degree, Anne? 

Anne: I am going to finish my degree next June. By the time I graduate, I (go)   to

four different colleges and universities, and I (study)  for more than seven

years.

Oliver: Wow, that's a long time! 

Anne: And I plan to continue on to get a Ph.D. 

Oliver: Really? How long is that going to take? 

Anne: By the time I finally finish studying, I (be)   a student for over 13 years. 

3. 

Max: Sarah has been in the kitchen all day long.

Jake: It doesn't sound like she's having a very good Thanksgiving.

Max: She (cook)   for over seven hours by the time everyone arrives for

dinner this afternoon. Hopefully, she (finish)   everything by then. 

Jake: Maybe we should help her out. 

4. 

Mike: It's 6:00, and I have been working on my essay for over three hours. 

Sid: Do you think you (finish)   by 10:00? There's a party at Donna's tonight. 

Mike: I (complete, probably)   the essay by 10:00, but I

(work)   on it for more than seven hours, and I don't think I am going to feel

like going to a party. 

5. 

Fred: By the time they finish their trip across Yosemite National Park, they

(hike)   for more than six days. 

Ginger: And they (be, not)   in a bed or (have)   a shower in

almost a week! 

Fred: When we pick them up, they (eat)   camping food for days, and I am

sure they will be starving. 

Ginger: I think we had better plan on taking them directly to a restaurant.

Make the future continuous:

1) At three o’clock tomorrow, I   (work) in my office..

2) At three o’clock tomorrow, you   (lie) on the beach..

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3) At three o’clock tomorrow, he   (wait) for the train..

4) At three o’clock tomorrow, she   (shop) in New York..

5) At three o’clock tomorrow, it   (rain)..

6) At three o’clock tomorrow, we   (get) ready to go out..

7) At three o’clock tomorrow, they   (meet) their parents..

Simple Future / Future Continuous

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the "Check" button to check your answers.

1. Sandra: Where is Tim going to meet us? 

Marcus: He (wait)   for us when our train arrives. I am sure he

(stand)   on the platform when we pull into the station. Sandra: And then what? 

Marcus: We (pick)   Michele up at work and go out to dinner. 

2. 

Ted: When we get to the party, Jerry (watch)   TV, Sam (make)   

drinks, Beth (dance)  by herself, and Thad (complain)   about his day at work. 

Robin: Maybe, this time they won't be doing the same things. 

Ted: I am absolutely positive they (do)   the same things; they always do the same things. 

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3. 

Florence: Oh, look at that mountain of dirty dishes! Who (wash)   all of those? 

Jack: I promise I (do)   them when I get home from work. Florence: Thanks. 

Jack: When you get home this evening, that mountain will be gone and nice stacks of

sparkling clean dishes (sit)   in the cabinets. 4. 

Doug: If you need to contact me next week, I (stay)   at the Hoffman Hotel. 

Nancy: I (call)   you if there are any problems. Doug: This is the first time I have ever been away from the kids. 

Nancy: Don't worry, they (be)   be fine. 5. 

Samantha: Just think, next week at this time, I (lie)   on a tropical beach in Maui drinking Mai Tais and eating pineapple. 

Darren: While you are luxuriating on the beach, I (stress)   out over this marketing project. How are you going to enjoy yourself knowing that I am working so hard? 

Samantha: I 'll manage somehow. Darren: You're terrible. Can't you take me with you? 

Samantha: No. But I (send)   you a postcard of a beautiful, white sand beach. 

Darren: Great, that (make)   me feel much better.

Simple Present / Simple FuturePresent Continuous / Future Continuous

1. Right now, I am watching TV. Tomorrow at this time, I (watch)   TV as

well. 

2. Tomorrow after school, I (go)   to the beach. 

3. I am going on a dream vacation to Tahiti. While you (do)   paperwork and

(talk)   to annoying customers on the phone, I (lie)   on a sunny,

tropical beach. Are you jealous? 

4. We (hide)   when Tony (arrive)   at his surprise party. As soon

as he opens the door, we (jump)   out and (scream)  , "Surprise!" 

5. We work out at the fitness center every day after work. If you (come)   over

while we (work)   out, we will not be able to let you into the house. Just to be

safe, we (leave)   a key under the welcome mat so you will not have to wait

outside. 

6. While you (study)   at home, Magda (be)   in class. 

7. When I (get)   to the party, Sally and Doug (dance)  , John

(make)   drinks, Sue and Frank (discuss)   something

controversial, and Mary (complain)   about something unimportant. They are

always doing the same things. They are so predictable. 

8. When you (get)   off the plane, I (wait)   for you. 

9. I am sick of rain and bad weather! Hopefully, when we (wake)   up tomorrow

morning, the sun (shine)  . 

10. If you (need)   to contact me sometime next week, I (stay)   at

the Sheraton in San Francisco.

Future continuous and future perfect.

1. This time tomorrow, Maria   on a beach in Majorca. (sunbathe) 

2. Wake me up by nine o'clock - I   long enough by then. (sleep) 

3. Look, I can give you a lift to the station - I   that way anyway. (drive) 

4. It's strange that when we get to Sydney, we   half way round the world. (fly) 

5. Don't phone me between 7 and 8. We   dinner then. (have) 

6. Phone me after 8 o'clock. We   dinner by then. (finish) 7. Tomorrow afternoon we're going to play tennis from 3 o'clock until 4.30. So at 4

o'clock, we   tennis. (play) 

8. Do you think you   the same job in ten years' time? (still/do) 

9. By the time you get home I   the house from top to bottom. (clean) 10. Tom is on holiday and he is spending his money very quickly. If he continues like

this, he   all his money before the end of his holiday. (spend)